Invasion of Pandora
by Gree
Summary: In the grim darkness of the future the might of the Imperium comes to Pandora. War errupts,but the Inquisition had other special plans in mind for Eywa. Reviews welcomed.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: This is something I thought of doing after seeing the movie. I was exiting the theater and thinking. ''The Na'vi thought the RDA was brutal? I wonder how they would react to the Imperium!'' and so this fic was born.**

**The actual warfare won't take place until chapter two, I'm introducing the humans first before the battles begin.**

**Invasion of Pandora**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Arrival**

* * *

**Airspace above Base 16**

Inquisitor Marber looked out of the window the Aquila shuttle. The smoke shrouded structure of forward Base 16 rose from the blue-green jungle below like a grey rock in an alien ocean. The pilot voxed in confirmation to Base 16's operators for a moment. After a brief vox-burst the base's comn operators confirmed the flight patterns of the vehicle and gave permission.

The Lander swooped down and jets of heat washed down as operators wearing rebreathers and carrying glow-flags directed the Inquisitorial shuttle down to a large empty landing pad painted with faded yellow markings. The shuttle landed lightly with a thud and Marber got up from his seat. He pulled on his breathmask. Karlon, his savant, followed out from behind him as Marber got up and gave himself one last weapons check.

''As a reminder sir, this atmosphere is highly toxic, are you sure your rebreather is on fine?'' Karlon asked, his voice transmitted through a throat-mounted vox unit. Marber's savant was heavily modified with augmetic lungs. Rebreathers were unneeded for him.

Karlon was a withered, pale, shell of a man. He was swathed in thick brown robes with the golden 'I' symbol in front. His lower half was an automated set of four spider legs that clacked on the metal floor of the landing bay. His forearms where replaced with metallic access and datathief instruments. Karlon was a gift from his master. Inquisitor Lord Gedsar. Marber had served with the hoary old veteran for eighteen years as one of his acolytes. Finally, after much time, he had been promoted to an Inquisitor two years ago. He had entered the Ordo Xenos, as had his master, a practice common among Inquisitors.

And know he was here on Pandora.

Or more accurately ZL-106, as was it's official designation, but somebody in the top Guard brass had gotten into the habit of calling it Pandora after some old Terran legend. It stuck.

''So this is the place'' he muttered to himself. Marber stood at average Imperial height, clad in a field uniform of syth-cloth and grox leather. He wore a segmented Tarsian carapace suit over his torso and limbs. A saber and a bulky looking bolt pistol where holstered on is belt along with other shapes.

He and Karlon walked quickly across the broad, concrete fields, Guardsmen flocked around the place like worker insects at some hive. Some hauled around boxes of ammo or other pieces of equipment, others were taking apart a husk of a broken Chimera, or some other mundane task.

It was nothing he really cared about, he already had an objective.

''Catachan, Thirty-Sixth regiment, commanded by Colonel Landers, total strength two thousand three hundred and thirty six Guardsmen'' Karlon began.

''I already read the reports, I'm familiar enough with the Guard here'' Marber replied. The troopers were all lean muscular types, wearing light flak jackets and sleeveless shirts. All wore some form of blue-green camouflage. All wore rebreathers.

Pandora'a atmosphere was highly toxic to humans. If one breathed it in without any kind of filter or augmetics they would be paralyzed in forty seconds and dead within four minutes. Pandora was like a beautiful, but poisonous flower. Marber had been briefed somewhat on what the Imperium knew about the local fauna and wildlife, but he had been forced to admire it's intoxicating beauty as he came in from orbit.

The Imperium had had full operational bases here for a mere five months, and Guard forces had been here for a mere two years. Even now the Genetors of the Mechanicus were still trying to unlock the secrets of the deadly Pandoran wildlife. The Guardsmen however learned only the rules of survival on this planet. Due to the nature of the terrain the Catachan regiments where a natural choice for the planet, but they were not the sole type of soldiers sent.

Cadians, Vardian, soldiers from Luther McIntryne where also sent here among various others. So far none had adapted well as the Catachans, who took the dangers of Pandora as a challenge. The fauna here was deathworld class easily, the predators here where many varied and all deadly. But of all the dangers of Pandora the local xenos breed had been the most deadly.

The ''Na'vi'' as they where called, were tall blue humanoids that apparently took offense to the Mechanicus teams that landed on the planet in search of raw materials. The tech-priests began the extermination of the xenos, but it was soon revealed that the Na'vi were far more numerous and dangers as first thought.

So the Guard got called in.

All for unobtanium, Marber mused. The Imperium would not be here if not for that metal. Unobtanium was one of the most rarest metals. It's primary use was as a super conductor for plasma and fusion reactors. In other words it was vital for use in rare technologies like Starship drives, plasma reactors and weaponry, and void shields. All items that the Imperium increasingly was starting to lose.

Very few planets that the Imperium had found possessed unobtanium and very few of them in turn could be found. Pandora was a lucky find, and the Mechanicus descended upon it. The planet was rich in unobtanium, with 93% of it concentrated in the jungles. Their efforts at strip mining so far had failed because of the death world class environment and the natives.

Various Imperial tacticians and xenobiologists had theorized that the Na'vi themselves where using the jungle itself to fight. Autopsies had revealed that the xenos possessed and ability to link themselves to the various wildlife. Because of this the Guard had been sent in to clear out the Na'vi and destroy as much as the jungle as possible. Despite being outnumbered fifty to one the vastly superior technology enabled the Imperials to make gains.

Of course, the unobtanium was a mere side objective, Marber came here for a different reason, one that was vital to the Imperial conquest of the planet and the Inquisition's own secret agenda.

He came to an entrance gate. He flashed the Inquisitorial rosette. The two Guardsmen looked at it briefly and then pressed the button, Marber and Karlon entered in the room. The doors slammed shut behind them as the air filtered recycled the outside air with a hiss. A nearby rune-marked panel glowed red for several moments before switching to a bright green.

Marber removed his mask and took a long breath. He had narrow, gaunt features, with hangdog eyes. He cracked his neck from side to side, trying to work out the kinks. He swept his close-cropped black hair back as the doors in front opened. He and Karlon exited among the hallways. Various Guardsmen moved about, along with servitors and various Munitorum adepts. He grabbed the shoulder of a red-robed adept.

''Were is the Colonel?'' he asked pointedly. The adept was startled.

''Who are you-'' he began, but Marber cut him off.

''Inquisitor Stark Marber, Ordo Xeno, I've got urgent business.'' he said. He did not really have any time to waste. He did not bother to threaten the adept. A simply request sufficed.

''He's in a command meeting, three hallways down on the right. I don't think he should be interrupted.'' the adept replied, somewhat shaken, which was normal, considering the reputation of the Inquisition.

''He's already got notice that I'm coming.'' Marber answered, letting go. He turned to Karlon

''Let's go.''

* * *

Captain Loal Torenson walked in, dog-tags jingling as he looked around the command room. It was a large room, about thirty meters long, and lined with various monitor screens that controlled Base 16's systems. Servitors were plugged into each station. At the end, on a high pedestal dominated by a huge, holo-screen was Colonel Landers and the rest of the 36th's officer cadre. All gathered around the raised holo-scree. He checked his wristwatch. Good, he was the last one here.

Torenson knew this was going to be another hell-mission. He had not been on actual tours for almost a week now. Standard Imperial time. He had a sense the colonel was saving him up for something. A week of spending time on the firing range and running Base 16's small exercise course did little to relieve his boredom. Nether did burying himself in his own dog-eared copy of the Tactica Imperium, Volume XX.

Flights into Base 16 had been slow these days and Volume XXI had not arrived yet for his pleasure. Torenson was considered a bit of a bookworm among the Catachans, he was considered rather unconventional for his hobbies. Back on Catachan there had not been much time for books. It was a constant struggle for survival, you learned Imperial Basic and then devoted all your time to survival tactics and the lasgun. Once Torenson had been chosen from the PDF to join the Guard tithe he had found reading various tactical manuals a great way to spend the time on long trips in space.

A row of toughened faces greeted him. Colonel Landers, the old man, looked down as he raised one flint grey eyebrow. He was fifty, ancient for a Catachan guardsmen considering the line of work they did. Despite his age Landers was made of steel, almost literally, part of his chest was replaced by augmetic lungs almost nine years ago after an ambush by the Eldar on Rorsa Prime. Unlike most people in his regiment Landers could breathe the Pandoran air freely. He was fitter than men half his age.

His signature power fist was not present instead he had only a holstered hellpistol. Torenson had brought along his chainsword and bolt pistol himself, and many of the others where armed.

There was huffing as a tech-priest tinkering around in one of the lower hatches. Blue light flickered up from the pedestal and formed a map of the local terrain. Area 16, thirty miles of terrain that the 35th was expected to patrol.

''Alright, let's get this over with ladies and gentleman'' Landers said. He pointed one finger out. ''We've finally gotten a good idea how to clear out this area, I know, sounds too good to be true, right?'' he asked.

It did sound too good to be true. While the Imperial Guard slaughtered the Na'vi in open warfare, the results where different in guerilla warfare. The dammed blue xenos quickly began to use hit and run attacks.

The huge amount of electromagnetic made communications patchy at the best of times and the magnetic interference and flocks of flying creatures made high-level aerial support hard to do. Valkyries helped in transportation and assaults, but there was never enough of them. Chimera and Hellhounds were the order of the day, along with foot patrols by the guardsmen themselves.

The Catachans excelled in such terrain, Catachan itself being far tougher than this little blue-green rock, Torenson thought. However the natives had the home field advantage here.

''A surefire way to success? What is this crap?'' asked Major Tosaka, the second in command of the regiment.. ''This something from command?'' he asked.

''No, it's from the Inquisition.'' A new voice said. Torenson's attention was turned to a man coming out from a group of Munitorum adepts, how he had made himself unnoticed to then, Torenson did not know.

''This is Inquisitor Marber, of the Ordo Xenos,'' Landers explained. ''He here to help us deal with our bluie problem.'' the Inquisitor quickly took up position.

Torenson was apprehensive as any sane man would be when thinking of the Inquisition, he was also suspicious. Catachans did not trust anyone that came off-world, they were too independent minded. The air in the room seemed to shift into something more apprehensive. The Inquisition was here, and that meant something had gotten more than just a normal bushfire war.

Torenson eyed the Catachan colonel

''Correct,'' the Inquisitor tapped something and pulled up the holo-screen, he pointed out a six mile section of the jungle. ''You already know the current tactical situation, so I won't insult you be repeating it.''

''Know you all know that the xenos are able to link up with the wildife?'' he asked. Torenson knew it well, although he did not like to think about it. The whole concept was rather disgusting ands reminded him too much of the alien Tyranids.

''That's a given, we all know tha.t'' the Major crossed his arms.

''Ever wonder how they do that?'' Marber asked. Without missing a beat he continued. ''It's because the entire planet is alive.'' he explained.

''What?'' one of the officers raised an eyebrow.

''This ecosystem is some-sort of semi-sentient xenos creature.'' he explained

Torsenson was surprised at the implications. So this was not a forest at all but some huge xenos creature of some sorts? That was decided unnerving even to the Catachan.

''The green covers this entire planet, surely it can't be that big.'' he stated. The Inquisitor looked up at him.

''It's not really a creature as we understand, but more of an interconnected jungle that directs the environment to attack, that's why you have been fighting the wildlife almost as much as the local xenosbreed.'' he explained.

''This is unbelievable.'' Totsaka sighed.

''Whether believe it or not, we are going to launch a strike against the xenos regardless.' Marber explained.

At this everyone gave him their full attention.

''This area, I believe is the location of an 'nerve center' on Pandora. This 'nerve center' is essentially a key part of the planet's coordination, it's also as important religious site for the xenos.'' Marber explained.

''We were unable to pinpoint the exact location from orbit, because of the atmospheric interference on Pandora, so I need to lead a kill team to reconnoiter this area'' Marber fumbled around on the controls.

''We need to reconnoiter the area, if we find this place and destroy it, it will significantly reduce the ability of the enemy to fight back, regardless of whatever this crap about being a nerve center or not is true there's evidence to support increased Na'vi activity in this area'' Colonel Landers explained.

''That area,'' Major Totsuka began, eyeing the place. ''That's Sector 1604, one of the most heated areas in this sector, you can't seriously be sending this man along with Catachan into the Green.''

''Oh, I have my own tricks, don't worry about me, I can hold my own.'' Marber said, with a genial smile. Torenson knew this man was holding out some sort of secret from them.

''Who is to lead this team Colonel?'' he asked, almost envying the poor sap who would do it.

''You are.''


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: Here's the second chapter, in which the Na'vi are finally encountered in combat.**

**The animal species used in this chapter are all in the film and taken from Pandorapedia.**

**As before reviews and comments are welcome.**

* * *

**Invasion of Pandora**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

**Pandora-Base 16-Forward Hanger Bay**

Marber walked across Base 16's hanger in a new uniform. He had chosen a camoline tunic and combat gear along with his segmented carapace suit for jungle warfare. The carapace was heavy, but he needed the protection. His rebreather was on. Hopefully, if all went well, he would not need to be out in the field long and his objective could be done quickly. The thought of messing himself up on this backwater was not very appealing at all.

The hanger was a mess of activity, with platoons of Catachans running around the place. Workers and servitors hauled crates of equipment to distribute to the troops as the tech-priests prepared the Valkyries.

Torenson was waiting for him near the end of the parked row of Valkyries.

''Captain?'' Marber appeared behind him.

Torenson whirled around, surprised that Marber had somehow snuck up on him for a second time.

''Ah, Marber, I've just been talking to your team here.'' he pointed to the collection of figures in front of the Valkyries. Marber looked them over. They did not look very much different from the average Catachan.

One was a hulking, dark-skinned man bearing a heavy bolter, obviously the heavy support of this team. One was a woman, but more muscular and butch than any other woman that Marber had seen. Another was a man with a bionic eye cradling a grenade launcher. A scarred man with a do-rag looked him over and the last was two men in crew cuts, one blonde and the other dark-haired.

All had rebreathers.

''Who is this?'' asked do-rag.

''This is Inquisitor Marber, Parker, Inquisitor, this is Sergeant Parker.'' Torenson introduced him. Parker's previously disinterested expression changed at the news of the Inquisitor's rank.

''I was expecting somebody taller than you, maybe with a black coat and rosette?'' questioned Parker.

''We all have our stereotypes Sergeant,'' Marber replied He dangled out his rosette. ''See? I'm a member of the Ordo Xenos, but the particulars of my rank and job don't matter, we have a mission to do.'' he explained.

''I've trust you've all been briefed?'' Marber asked.

''We have, the 36th launches a large-scale sweep and we move in to protect you as the Captain's men take a little look around.'' the sergeant replied. His posture somewhat guarded.

Marber knew that Parker was not really truly nervous. No Catachan was that easy to scare. But he was apprehensive, in the fact of something that carried a lot of power. This was not some wannabe Commissar that was assigned to the regiment.

This was one of the Emperor's hounds. A somebody in other words. Marber knew Catachans were somewhat xenophobic to non-Catachans. But an Inquisitor was a different class of there own.

''Then you should get going, the operation begins immediately, Flight Grey-5 is prepped for takeoff, the Colonel expects us to begin immediately.'' Torenson mentioned to the Valkyrie.

''Of course, let's go.'' Marber stepped inside the cockpit and strapped himself in. He was familiar with the protocols for riding in a Valkyries. Quickly and professionally the Catachans followed himself in.

Lights flashed outside and menials ran by with glow-flags to direct the takeoffs. One by one almost twenty Valkyries carrying over tow hundred Catachan Guardsmen lifted off from Base 16. The Imperial machines quickly fly up above tree level, but lower than a flight of Thunderbolts that flew up the assault carrier below. Obviously to provide escort, although why exactly they would be needed against primitives seemed strange to Marber.

''An escort?'' he asked.

''Flight squadron 4456 of the Imperial Navy, temporarily stationed at Base 16.'' answered Parker.

''Of course that means for as long as it takes to win this little brushfire war.'' added the heavy weapons trooper.

''Dorvacs has it right,….. I should probably introduce you to the rest of the team.'' Parker said.

''That's Dorvacs.'' he pointed to the heavy weapons trooper.

''Mercen.'' he pointed to the woman

''Tuomas.'' he indicated the bionic eyed man.

''Lilen.'' the blonde with a flamer

''And Walst.'' he marked out the last man.

''No last names?'' asked Marber.

''Those are our last names,'' interjected Tuomas. ''It's our call signs an regimental tradition, we've got more than that, but it's a squad thing.'' he explained.

''I see.''

The next ten minutes were mostly silent as everyone did last minute weapons checks and preparations for the coming mission. Camo-paint was passed around Marber took some, no point in going into battle without all your advantages.

''So… you are an Inquisitor? Like the holo-picts?'' asked Dorvacs.

''No, not like the holo-picts, I'm not here to drag any of you away for torture, I have my own mission.'' Marber said.

''Your coming with us? With carapace?'' Mercen said.

''What do you mean by that?'' asked Marber, somewhat irate.

''Your armor it's-'' she began.

''-Too heavy?'' replied Marber.

''No, what she means is the xenos weapons are poisoned, if you get hit anywhere you tend to die in four minutes regardless.'' Parker explained.

''Unless you've got enough armor to cover every part of your body then armor isn't much good out here in the Green.'' Dorvacs added.

''Then why do you were armor on?'' Marber looked at their light flaks jackets. Sure, it was not much, but they were wearing it.

''For the native animals, they have nasty claws, your carapace armor will prove to be pretty hard for most critters out there, but it's useless once those xenos try hitting your joints with poison arrows.'' Parker mentioned to his elbow.

''That's why we do speed and camouflage, as well as trying to blow them away first.''

''Or burn them?'' Marber indicated the flamer.

''Yeah, that and your sword.''

''It's a power weapon.''

''They still have more strength, better reflexes and are tough as hell, it's hard enough for us to take xenos in close combat as it is.'' Mercen interjected.

Marber smiled in a rather unsettling manner. ''I've got my own tricks, maybe you will even get to see them.''

Before anyone could say anything more, explosions rocked outside as in the distance the bulky forms of bombers showed themselves. Bombs fell down from their bellies into the thick jungle below.

''I thought this was supposed to be somewhat stealthy? They not alerting the Na'vi that we are coming?'' asked Marber.

''The dammed tree-huggers know we are coming anyway, there's no point in muffling our approach, it's like the whole forest is alive.'' Parker replied ruefully.

You have no idea, thought Marber.

* * *

**Torenson**

The Valkiyes flew above Torenson as the Chimera slowed down. The rugged APC hit a large set of rocks, thick vines entangled the path that the Guard convoy was trying to get through.

Not all of the 36th could be mounted on Valkyries, as much as Torenson wished it. He was leading the Third Company on a Search and Destroy mission, to draw away the local Na'vi forces and allow Inquisitor Marber's group an easier time of sweeping the place. The Chimeras equipped with buzzsaws, dozer blades and flamers was a popular choice on Pandora for it's ability to clear out sections of jungle quickly and efficiently. So was the Hellhound.

Fifteen Chimeras along with seven Hellhounds made up the Third Company convoy. Torenson was riding in his own command model, with an upgraded communications array, for all that did for him due to the planet's electromagnetic arrays.

''Crap, what happened?'' Torenson demanded?

His driver whirled around. ''I don't know sir! This was not here in our last patrol.'' he remarked. Torenson cursed Pandora's reactive biology. Something roared outside and he peered out a nearby firing slit.

Through the thick forest came huge shapes charging forward.

''Hammerheads!'' he announced through his comn bead.

The hammerheads where hulking creatures the size of a tank with thick, bone-plated heads, a single one charging would wreck a Chimera. Staying inside while those beasts still roamed was suicide.

''Pile out and open fire! This has to be an ambush.'' Torenson shouted, diving out of his Chimera, his command squad spilling out behind him. In an instead the Captain was introduced to the blue-green world about him.

The jungle was beautiful, but that was not what he was looking for. In the branches above he spotted a huge blue form move amongst the alien branches above. It was A vaguely humanoid body. He fired a single shot with his bolter. The corpse fell to the earth, droplets of red blood falling along with its body. It still amazed Torenson still, that despite their blue skin they possessed red blood.

The body hit the floor with a muffled thud. It was shaped vaguely like the holy form of a human. But it was too big, and colored blue. It's disgusting, angular face was bestial and savage, covered in war tattoos. It had four digits on each limb and had a long sweeping tail. A large hole went through its chest, crimson leaking out of it. The warrior was definitely dead. Suddenly his instincts screamed and Torenson ducked an arrow that went over his head to hit a Chimera hatch.

Multi-lasers on each Chimera opened fire, sending a storm of ruby lances not at the Na'vi in the branches above, but at the charging Hammerheads who were closing in quite quickly on the Catachans. The Guardsmen moved out, taking cover wherever they could, firing shots from their las-rifles. Another massive corpse fell next to Torenson. It was still writhing as the smell of burned meat came from it's las-wounds.

The Captain shot it in the head, snarling as he did so. He turned to fire, his arm muscles protesting at the heavy kick of the bolt pistol, but he paid it no mind. Na'vi where tough to kill and he appreciated his bolter. An arrow took a Catachan in the leg. He fell to the ground screaming. With the poison on the Na'vi arrows he had only a few minutes left. Torenson ignored him, he could not help him by saving his life that was already lost

Instead he paid him back by killing Na'vi. The Captain took cover behind a upraised tree trunk under several bounding xenos and shot one in midair. The Captain was a crack shot and an alien fall without a leg, screaming as it did so. Meanwhile the multi-lasers blazed, taking down almost two dozen hammerheads. A Catachan prepped a rocket launcher, knelling down in the forest to take a shot at the hammerheads.

Before he could do so a xenos arrow took him through the throat, he feel writhing to the ground as his finger tightened on the trigger of the rocket launcher in a death reflex. he fired, striking a Chimera in the side armor, penetrating and blowing it too scrap. Fire and bits of metal filled the clearing, striking Na'vi and Catachan alike. Blue xenos leapt down under the cover of arrows, to engage with clubs and spears with the Catachans at close quarters.

The Na'vi had learnt early on that close combat was much, much better than a ranged duel, seeing as how heavily outclassed they were at range. So clubs and spears were the order of the day.

But the Catachans were not entirely defenseless at close quarters.

A Na'vi hissed in hatred, bringing a spear around to impale Torenson. The Catachan ducked the spear and fired his bolter, blowing a hole through the gut of the Na'vi warrior, a second shot blew its head off. Another brought its spear like a quarterstaff and kicked the pistol out of his hands, snarling, Torenson drew his chainblade. He barely dodged the next to blows and activated the weapon.

It roared to life in a throaty rumble. He brought it up, cutting through the Na'vi spear. The xenos weapon was over eight feet long and made of tough Pandoran wood, but it splintered easily under the teeth of the chainblade. Torenson brought his sword around and brought the edge down, cutting through the blue chest of the alien. The edges whined as Torenson carved through the internal organs of the screaming xenos.

Red gore covered him and he yanked the blade out of the dying creature, quickly he turned to recover his fallen pistol when he sensed a presence move up behind him. He whirled around. It was too late, something heavy stuck him n the side and he went down, his chainblade spinning out of his reach. A tall Na'vi with a club stood over him, hissing in that dammed irritating way.

Torenson felt a spike of hatred and tired to rise, to me his death head on, but he did not need to. Two Catachans leapt up and tackled the creature, the Na'vi hissed some more and knocked one guardsman away, but the other plunged a ten inch combat knife into its throat. The Catachan screamed in hatred and plunged the knife in again and again. The Na'vi shoved him off, but it was too late, the xenos fell to the floor dying. Torenson scrambled to his feet, grabbing his bolt pistol he shot the Na'vi at point blank range.

He grabbed his chainsword and looked around. A hammerhead rammed his recently vacated Chimera, sending it toppling over, before a burst of multi-laser ended it's life.

The ambush was good, Torenson had to admit grudgingly. But he and his men were guardsmen and they did not fall before some dammed blue xenos. He fired his bolter again.

''For the Emperor! Kill these shiteating pukes! Were the hell are my flamers?'' he bellowed in his vox-bead. As if answering him a gout of flame fired and several Na'vi fell screaming from the branches, afire.

* * *

**Parker's Squad**

After their Valkyries had emptied it's payload into the nearby jungle, Marber and Parker's squad had landed in via rappelling lines. He hit the ground with a thud and whipped out his hellpistol.

''LZ's clear.'' Parker said, taking his hellgun from his pack. The Inquisitor had noticed that Parker and his entire team sported special issue hellguns instead of the normal Catachan-pattern lasguns when they did the weapons checks earlier.. When he asked about it Parker merely said ''Special forces privileges'' Marber decided not to press the issue. It was not important.

Sounds of weapons fire filled the air.

''Sounds like multi-lasers by the tone.'' Mercen said as the team moved out in a extended skirmish line. More alien roared and noises like bones crackling filled the air.

''The locals?'' asked Marber.

''Yeah, plus some trees falling,'' Parker responded. ''Keep a sharp eye out people, you know the drill.'' he turned to Marber.

''They may be huge, but the xenos can blend in very well when they want to, it's their turf so they love ambushes.'' he outlined. Marber nodded. Seemed fairly basic to him.

Something crackled on the vox. ''That will be our friends.'' Dorvacs muttered.

''This is Cobra-8…Fifth Company…ambush, we need backup.'' came the voice of a Catachan over the vox.

''That's Torenson.'' Marber remarked.

''Our mission is to conduct the sweep.'' Parker noted.

''And we will, with the rest of the force, we might as well link up if the Na'vi have encountered them quickly maybe the Na'vi will lead us to were we need to find them?''

''Your the boss, as long as we get to kill more bluies.'' the sergeant shrugged and issued clipped orders for his team to move out through the Jungle. They separated and mowed swiftly out.

Marber followed Parker, reasoning his chances were best with him. The Catachan moved so swiftly and silently through the Jungle that Marber wondered if what he was doing was humanly possible. The Catachan sergeant moved ahead, his face calm and focused in a manner that suggested he had done this a hundred times before. Marber glanced around, noting the brilliant rainbow of colors around him.

Pandora was beautiful from the air, but even more beautiful from the ground, were one could see all it's glorious fauna and animals. The Catachans however seemed to ignore it.

Suddenly a muscled arm stopped him in mid-walk. Parker stopped Marber from moving in midstep. Marber was about to ask him what the hell he was doing when the sergeant put a finger to his lips.

''Toxic.'' he muttered, indicating a tall, thin plan with a large red and yellow flower a few meters ahead. Marber recognized it as a poisonous plant from Karlon's briefings, he cursed at his clumsiness.

Parker indicated to Lilen who brought his flamer up and gave it a few experimental pulls before sending a gout of white-hot promethium at the large plant. The xenos fauna curled and writhed like a living creature, thrashing madly. Parker shrugged and told Marber to follow him as he and Lilen stepped around the burning corpse of the plant. Marber was careful to step around the smoldering carcass. This area was fairly moist, so the flames would not burn far.

In the distance brief flashes could be seen, the Catachans stepped up their pace, then something big moved in the nearby undergrowth, leaves rustled as a massive shape leapt out and crushed Walst underneath its weight. A huge, bestial shape revealed itself. It reminded Marber of a cross between a Fenrisian wolf and a vronsker. It was a massive, four-limbed predator with an elongated head and a mouth filled with razor-sharp fangs.

It was twice the size of a normal human, with whip-like muscles. It's bright yellow eyes stared out at the Catachans were registered their comrades death. Marber recognized it for what is was. A Thanator, the Alpha apex predator on Pandora, the top of the food chain, it was frighteningly fast and strong, the equal of the Fenrisan thunderwolves in speed and strength. Its fangs could rip through steel plate.

More grows emerged, smaller, dog-like predators moved out of the growth. They had black hides and similar, elongated heads.

''Viperwolves!'' someone shouted, Marber didn't know who, but whoever did it just named Pandora's most prominent pack predators. However he did have any time to worry about them.

The Thanator leapt up and roared, leaping at Marber and Parker as they tried to jump out of the way. The beast's bulk threw Marber several feet back to hit the trunk of a tree with a thud. Parker lost his hellpistol and was thrown underneath some roots. Rapidly he pulled out his laspistol and pulled the trigger, striking the Thanator as it turned about, the blasts blew off chunks of its side, but the beast lunged at him.

The huge predator was stopped by the thick roots that protected Parker, but it was only a short amount of time before the Thanator would break through the roots and savage Parker, and the laspistol looked like it was not going to do much. Marber got up and drew his sword, activating it. A purple glow covered the saber as he charged forward, bringing the blade in two hands He had to be careful with this. He would get one shot.

As if sensing him coming, the Thanator whirled around and began to lunge at him. Marber thrust his saber forward, the tip of it piercing almost two inches deep into the Thanator's tough flesh. Then Marber channeled his power through the blade. Warp energy flooded through the wound and into the Thanator's nervous system. In less than a second the xenos's beast's nerves and brain were completely fired.

It was almost in instantaneous death.

The Thanator's body kept going by the momentum, and half-hit Marber, sending him crashing to the ground. Cursing, the Inquisitor barely managed to escape being crushed by the huge bulk. He was helped up by Mercen who just arrived on the scene. Dorvacs's heavy bolter blew the last of the viperwolves to bloody scraps across the jungle. He shrugged and turned around.

''Shit! A Thanator! Is it dead?'' asked Mercen.

''As a doornail.'' answered Marber, deactivating his sword with a hum before sheathing it. Mercen fired three more shots into the Thanator's head just to make sure.

''You never told me you were a spook.'' Parker commented as he climbed his way out of the tree roots. Mercen looked shocked.

''I didn't think you needed to know, I didn't see why it was important.t'' Marber replied.

''Is that your power? Mind tricks?'' the sergeant looked at his blade in disgust

''In a way, I have other powers, powers that could end this war.'' Marber informed him.

''Walst is dead.'' Mercen said simply.

''A damn shame he was a good hand at tarot, but we can't do anything for him now.'' The sergeant shrugged.

''Then we should move on, we really don't want to repeat Walst's demise do we?'' Marber suggested.

''Affirmative,'' Parker said He turned to the rest of his squad. ''What the hell are you waiting for? Move out! We are on the go!''.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Something is wrong with the formatting In this site. Things are not centering.**

* * *

**Invasion of Pandora**

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**Chapter 3**

Marber ran through the jungle, following Parker and his team. Next to him, Dorvacs ran, sweating bullets as his huge legs pumped back and forth to propel him. Marber was still surprised exactly how huge the man was. The mere fact that he wielded a heavy bolter single handedly was impressive, most Guardsmen needed two soldiers to move it around and fire it. But Dorvacs seemed to deal with it by himself just fine.

Parker's squad was moving through the jungle, ahead the sounds of battle intensified. Marber himself, although new to Pandora, had fought in firefights and battles before, against everything from Genestealer cults to Eldar.

It was now that Marber was really noticing the difference that the twenty percent air resistance had on the atmosphere, he had not noticed it before, due to the sealed cockpit and the heat of battle with the Thanator, but now it was harder to run. The increased air resistance made it feel like he was running against a strong breeze, even thought the air was still. Marber had been on many worlds, so he quickly was able to adjust.

The blue-green leaves wreathed the carnage ahead, but the familiar ruby-red lasfire of the Catachans pattern rifle could be detected by Marber, as well as the screams of the dying and the Na'vi hissing. Parker moved up and stopped near a tree trunk, unslinging his hellgun and opening fire with swift, precise shots at large blue figures. Marber followed his example and added his hellpistol fire.

His first shot took a tall blue alien through the throat, his second one blew off most of his skull. The corpse dropped to the ground. Something above aimed a bow at Marber, Parker noticed it and shot it. Mercen moved up along with Lilen and Dorvacs, who finished bringing up his heavy bolter again. The huge shells ripped across the branches, blowing off tree limbs and targeting Na'vi shapes.

Gouts of fire issued from Lilen's flamer. Adding to the barrage Tuomas fired his grenade launcher again and again, sending frags into the trees above, shrapnel caught a few Na'vi and sent them writhing to the ground. Marber spotted Captain Torenson hunkered down near the wreck of a Chimera. He and his command squad were caught in a nasty ambush. In addition an arrow was sticking out of their vox. They would not be able to contact their base then, if that was the case.

Parker said something and Lilen moved up. The sergeant gestured to Marker, appearing wanting him to provide covering fire for the flamer man. So Marber did, his hellpistol kicking in his hand from the shots. Lilen send more flames across the tree branches, careful not to fire into the combats where the Catachans and the Na'vi were engaging in hand to hand combat. The flamer soon set the wet leaves above smoking.

Then something huge landed next to Marber. It was a Na'vi, the Inquisitor recoiled back in surprise as it brought a two-handed club around to strike him in the skull, only a quickly reflexive action with his force sword blocked it. It was his first time seeing a live Na'vi up close. Marber had seen them on autopsy tables and on holopicts, but never actually seen one living and moving in front of him. And certainly not attacking him.

The force sword glowed as Marber recalled his earliest lesion with his blade and called his warp energy into the blade. The runes on the ancient, ornate saber glowed a bluish-purple with energy. The energized saber cut through the though wood of the club cleanly and came straight at the surprised Na'vi. The blade cut through the skull of the xeno with ease. The top half of the Na'vi's skull hit the ground, along with the xeno's body.

Behind the Na'vi, Marber saw Lilen turn around and flame two Na'vi warriors who tired to sneak up on him. Then another Na'vi was attacking Parker with a long knife, the sergeant was fighting back with his own blade, giving a damn good fight of it. But he was outmatched, Parker simply had no psychic powers or force sword to aid him. Marber ran forwards and reached out with his mind. He gathered his own warp talent and reached forward.

The Na'vi jerked and shot back towards Marber, as if shoved by some invisible force. The Inquisitor brought his force sword up and impaled the xenos through the chest. Marber fell to the ground as his channeled his power again. The Na'vi's nervous system was blasted as Marber struggled to move underneath the huge corpse. Then the xenos body was shoved off of him and Parker helped the Inquisitor up.

Marber huffed, trying to regain the air which had been forced out of his lungs when the Na'vi hit, and looked around, the Na'vi appeared to be retreating, running and leaping away with inhuman swiftness. The Catachans opened fire with everything they had, downing several retreating Na'vi, but the xenos were far too swift to be taken out entirely like that. In seconds they had vanished into the Jungle.

Torenson looked around. He gestured to a Catachan wearing a medical armband to get started with his work and he himself began to bark orders for the company to regroup and form a perimeter in case of another attack.

Parker's team moved in around him, Dorvacs shouldering the heavy bolter and Lilen deactivating his flamer. Tuomas spat into the ground and Mercen joined him. Marber walked up ahead of them.

"Captain,'' he said to Torenson. "We have much to talk about.''

A few minutes later Marber sat down along with Torenson on a rock next to each other. One of the Captain's aids had brought over a field map of Area 16. Torenson pointed a finger at one spot.

"That is were we are.'' Marber looked at it.

"I see, well hopefully what I'm about to do should help us in the search.'' he said as two Catachans lugged a Na'vi corpse over to where the Inquisitor and Torenson sat. Marber got up and knelt by it.

It was freshly dead, its yellow eyes were blank, its mouth was slightly open. It was almost intact, killed by a gut shot, which was why Marber needed it. Marber moved it over and grabbed its black braid, looking in closely the Inquisitor could almost see the nerve endings.

"What are you doing?'' asked Torenson doubtfully.

"Sergeant Parker did not tell you that I was a psyker? ''Marber detected little reaction from Torenson. "I see, you are not greatly bothered by me.''

"I worked with a squad of battle psykers once, your kind still creep me out, but I've gotten used to them.'' Torenson stated.

"Then in that case I'm going to use my powers, you see Captain, I was chosen for this mission because of my…unique abilities.'' Marber took the braid and concentrated, calming his mind.

He sent a jolt of warp power through the link, establishing a connection, and then his mind connected with the freshly dead nerve centers of the xenos. In an instant the two were one.

It was a parody of the links that the Na'vi did with their steeds. Marber was forcing the link on the dead nerves of the Na'vi. Even after death the brain's nerves, containing memories, skills and experiences, still remained intact. Marber opened up into these nerves and gazed into the deepest parts of the Na'vi's soul. For a moment it was like he himself was staring out into the eyes of the xenos himself. The though disgusted him, but we was swept on by the tide of the xenos's memories.

He saw other xenos, talking, interacting with this one, he was the xenos riding a Banshee, he felt his fingers on the skin of the beast and the exhilaration of riding it. He felt the power of the Direhorse beneath him, the heartbeat of the creature.

He saw through the xenos's earliest life as a child, learning the ways of the boy, how to hunt and give proper thanks for the dead lifeforms that fueled them. He saw flashes of glowing white petals.

He saw darkness, rock caverns, jagged walls. Dripping water, scuttling limbs and claws. He saw a faint glow in the middle of the all-enclosing darkness and a warm feeling that came from it.

Marber pressed on deeper and more and more images came through his head, but they were broken, ruined and incomplete. All because of the Na'vi's death, abruptly Marber withdrew. He fell back to the floor, his rebreather sucking in and out as he recovered from the close experience with the Na'vi. Torenson looked at him with some concern.

"Are you okay?'' he questioned, offering a hand.

Marber took it. "Yes, I'm fine, it's my first time suing it on a Na'vi.'' he gasped out, before straightening his posture and taking in deep breaths.

"I think I know things.''

"Things?'' Torenson asked.

"I saw him, I felt him, I experienced his memories and feelings.'' Marber replied.

"You were him?'' Torenson sounded disgusted.

"Yes I was, it is a very disturbing experience especially with an alien'' Marber commented. "I make sure to complete the double than usual amount of cleansing prayers.''

"Did you find anything the?'' Torenson asked. He was still clearly blanching at the thought of sharing his mind with a xenos, even if it was a dead one. Marber supposed he did not blame him, the incident would be disturbing enough.

"Yes, yes I do,'' Marber sat back down gingerly. "It's around here.'' he pointed to the map, were they were currently.

"What?'' questioned Torenson.

"Something…sacred, it's the best concept I can use for you, the language is complex.'' Marber explained.

"There?'' questioned Torenson. ''Those areas are a series of caverns.''

"It's something important to our objective, I believe that if we go here we can help accomplish our objective.'' The Inquisitor explained.

"Are you sure about it? What exactly is in there?'' asked Torenson doubtfully.

"I don't know.'' Marber admitted.

"You don't know?'' Torenson said dryly.

"But there is something important about it, the Na'vi's recent memories were centered around it, that's important.'' Marber explained.

"It could be a trap, or something useless.'' Torenson looked doubtful, Marber pressed on.

"We could have another advantage to end the war, that's the whole point of the mission, are you really going to turn around and leave because of a single ambush?'' Marber questioned.

Torenson regarded him for a few moments.

"Fine but it better be important.''

* * *

**Three Miles away**

Vas'tey looked out along with the rest of the Raemacia Clan from the branches above at the warriors of the Omaticaya moving quickly through the braces beneath them, still carrying their weapons.

The warriors of the Omaticaya looked like they had been dragged through the jungle by a _palulukan_. Many of them had their battle paint smudged, others were covered in knife wounds. He shook his head. They had moved too soon to strike against the sky people's caravan. It was near the _urtal_, but moving so soon was too reckless, Vas'tey had learnt not to underestimate the sky people.

The sky people, had come from the heavens, on steeds of metal and steel to destroy below. Vas'tey had always thought them to be just a distant, half-forgotten legend, he never thought them to be real. But real they were, he had heard the tales from the other clans, who had beheld in amazement of the great metal beasts that rode down from the sky and deposited metal-covered sky people.

He had heard of how they were slain by the fire-weapons of the sky people and how the surrounding trees were put to the torch. Wherever the sky people landed, they brought death and misery. At first most of the clans did not bother to move, letting those locally to death with the sky people. But it soon became obvious that the sky people were coming everywhere, and had no intention of stopping.

Once, Vas'tey was a simple hunter. Now he was a warrior. Once, the Na'vi where not involved in constant guerilla warfare. Now they were, the sky people's numbers seemed endless.

The sky people easily slaughtered the Na'vi in open battle. So Vas'tey, like so many others had learnt to strike from the shadows, launch hit and run attacks in order to bleed them dry. It had worked, to a degree, the Na'vi had inflicted heavy casualties on the invaders, but it had not been easy, and many warriors had fallen in the attempts as well. And worse still there seemed to be an infinite amount of the humans.

Of them, the warriors who wore red rags on their heads and fought with knives were the most dangerous, they moved well for a jungle and had even managed to ambush the Na'vi in their own terrain a few times.

Vas'tey leapt down to meet with Tel'rek as he spotted the familiar form of the tall battle chieftain leapt up from a low-lying branch. Vas'tey landed gracefully and looked the other warrior in the eye.

"I greet you.'' Vas'tey said.

"I greet you.'' replied Tel'rek.

"Why did you attack so quickly?'' Vas'tey asked, going straight to the point.

"You know,'' grimaced Tel'rek. ''They were near the _utral_.''

"Those _utral_ are sacred, but well-guarded and defended, they would have been fine if you had waited for me and my warriors, together we might have won.'' Vas'tey explained.

"I could not allow the sky people's touch any nearer.'' Tel'rek said, straightening up to his full height. Vas'tey and Tel'rek had similar builds, but Tel'rek was about a half-hand taller than Vas'tey. However Vas'tey was older.

"I feel your pain, but we cannot waste the blood of our brothers and sisters, the sky people blunder about aimlessly, they would have taken a long time to find the _utral_.'' Vas'tey said.

"What if they had gotten lucky and found it? I could not live with myself if they had managed to find it out anyway.'' Tel'rek said defensively.

''Be at peace, I did not mean to insult you, however anything else would be fruitless argument-'' Vas'tey was interrupted as a young warrior dropped in from a tree branch and hurried to them.

''Tel'rek, Vas'tey, the sky people are heading to the _urtal_!'' he said seriously.

Vas'tey was shocked. How could they get to the _urtal_ so soon? How had they even found it out? Or was it just a lucky guess that the sky people had found out were it was?

Regardless they had to be stopped.

''I told you, the sky people are more perceptive then you give them credit for'.' commented Tel'rek triumphantly.

''Maybe, but right now our only purpose is to stop the sky people from defiling that place.'' Vas'tey sad, wishing quickly to move out.

Tel'rek sighed. ''You are right, but you need not worry too much.'' he said.

''Why?'' asked Vas'tey.

''Yeliti is there, along with a group of warriors, in the darkness of the _urtal_ they should have a much easier time with the sky people.'' Tel'rek gave a grin.

''Our combined strength should be enough for victory.''

* * *

**The Caves**

Marber walked through another set of bushes. Bits of undergrowth slapped away at his combat fatigues as he followed Parker's squad through the undergrowth. All around him were the sounds of the rest of the Catachan regiment as well. Marber had pointed out the spot on the map where he roughly believed the objective to be. Torenson immediately gathered all he could on foot after bringing out a backup vox from the Chimera wreck.

It was almost a mile and a half through thick undergrowth. Once in a while a pack of viperwolves would attack a patrol only to be driven off by a burst of lasgun fire through the leaves. Parker claimed the Na'vi where watching him, and occasionally arrows were fired at the Catachans. None were killed, but the threat was still there, the Na'vi were not finished just yet.

It was nearing darkness, and it was taking much longer than Marber expected, he supposed this was because of the terrain, but Parker simply said that the Catachans were being cautious, which made sense.

The sun got lower and lower, as long rays of light cast a blood red glow over the leaves of the forest. The local fauna itself was starting to activate it's bioluminescence in preparation for the night cycle. But it was never truly night on Pandora, the fact of it's location compared to the main planet meant that nights were more often like dusk, rather than true nights that most of the Imperium experienced.

Eventually the first patrols of the Third Company sighted the Areas 16'a caves and set up a perimeter around it. Twenty minutes later Marber, Parker and Torenson all arrived at the Caves.

Area 16's caves were low-set entranced in the middle of a small valley that was in the side of a small mountain. A blue river twisted near the edge of the cave along the valley while stone formations rose up like towers. Two smaller tributaries came out from the main river. Tall tress with broad, blue-green leaves ringed the place but otherwise it was actually quite open, with thick green grass and small plants.

Marber, Torenson, and the rest of the Catachans looked over the Caves with a mixture of excitement (In Marber's case) unease and grim resignation (the rest of the humans).

''I don't recall any deep exploration into there.'' Marber spoke, finally.

''It was the Mechanicus who did so soon after they landed, they were all slain by the locals after they got cut off.'' Torenson explained.

''Are you yourself going to go on?'' he asked.

''Of course,'' Marber said. ''It's clear that what I saw, what we want, is in those caves.'' he shrugged.

''I'm not taking the entire company into there, I want to take Parker's team and two or three other squads.'' Marber said.

''Two or three?'' spoke Parker.

''Yes, two or three, can you spare that?'' Marber asked Torenson, who sighed.

''Fine, but they are under your watch, those caves are dangerous.'' Torenson warned.

''I will watch out then.'' Marber promised.

Soon three squads, Charlie, Delta and Kappa, where assembled along with Parker's squad. At Marber's orders the heavy weapons were left behind, in the caves they would be too cumbersome to use effectively. Instead flamers were taken along with lasguns, the Catachans also possessed small flashlights that could easily be mounted in the bayonet plugs fairly well, giving them illumination in the cave.

Marber looked them over, nodding.

''Alright, let's go.''

* * *

**Somewhere**

In the middle of the jungle, energy crackled in the air, blue-white lightning crackling around and around, a local pack of viperwolves fled in terror at the electricity quickly. Slowly, through the jungle, a shape coalesced into existence, air rippling away. It was tall, white and polished, over nine meters tall, and covered with elegant runes and glowing sigils that throbbed with power.

A wave of almost pure light glowed from underneath the curved tip of the pillar. From it two ethereal figures emerged, both inhumanly tall and slender. They walked into the Pandoran night.

One was taller than the other, almost seven feet tall. He wore green and white armor, elegantly crafted and formfitting. A curved pack was fitted on his backpack. A tall helmet with a rearing crest masked his features.

The other was female, clad in a different make of armor and in formfitting green robes. Her helmet had a rune symbol crafted into a headcrest. She carried a tall staff that was topped by a glowing rune.

The female walked forward, blue light playing from her fingertips. The male followed, gazing about, his hands ready on his scimitar and pistol as they searched the jungle depths.

After almost a minute, the female spoke.

''Yes, they are here.'' her voice was light, musical and wise. The male cocked his head.

''The mon-keigh have truly discovered this place, I was hoping it was not true.'' he murmured.

''Yes, they have, I weep that such barbaric animals found this place, not doubt they crush it underneath their feet, unknown to the dangers beneath.'' she commented.

She raised her staff into the air and sent slivers of blue light into the jungle. The light floated peacefully amongst the fauna, and various animals that shied out of it's path.

''Will this place attack is, it is like the Craftworld is it not?'' the male asked.

''No Lithial, it will not, it recognized that we are a part of the balance.''

''Balance?'' the male asked.

''This ecosystem is alive, alive in more ways that the craftworld's's wraithbone…but it does not matter, only stopping the foolish mon-keigh.'' she said.

''Of course Farseer Kylia, I trust your matters in this situation, what do we do to stop the mon-keigh?'' he asked.

Kylia through she heard a note of excitement in his voice, at the potential chance to fight.

''Eventually, but first we much contact the natives here.''

''Why? The Na'vi are even more primitive than the humans.'' he questioned.

''True, but they would make effective allies, and we need all allies if we are to stop the force that lies in this planet.'' She gestured to leave.

The two returned to the blue-white light and vanished, quickly, the webway gate was cloaked in shadows as the nightlife resumed around the jungle.

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**Author's Notes Here is the third chapter, another 40k race has been introduced to add things to the mix, this time on the side of the Na'vi.**

**This is my first time writing the Na'vi's POV, I hope I did a good job.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: This is the fourth chapter. If you would note the shadowcrabs are my own invention, created for this chapter.**

**I would also like to thank everyone who reviewed. You are very helpful. More reviews and comments are welcomed.**

**Northern_megas: The Eldar are about six-seven feet tall going by Jess Goodwin's comments. (He made the Marine and Eldar models originally back in the day) And the Eldar do use breathing filters, I wrote them as wearing helmets which do contain their own life support system.**

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**Chapter 4**

Marber's boots crunched stones beneath his feet as he looked around. Dozens of flashlights pierced the pitch-black gloom of the cave, illuminating grey rock walls, stalagmites and various blind cave insects. Around him the Catachans cursed and shuffled, weapons at ready, lights shining in the dark. The Catachans were a brave hardy lot, not inclined to fear much. But they were still at unease in the dark.

Was it because they could not see? Marber wondered. Or was it some older primal instinct to fear the denizens of the darkness? Or was it simple fear of the unknown, even Marber, who had braved the trials of the Inquisition, was uneasy himself.

The Catachans and Marber had entered the caves a half hour ago, walking into the cavernous mouth of the formation. The Sergeants, Darson, Khaz and Muller, had been quick to organize a buddy system as not to get lost in the darkness. They advanced down the main the tunnel which Marber sensed led to what he desired. The more they traveled on and on, the more they felt like traveling down the belly of a carnivorous beast.

Parker's eyes darted as he moved his flashlight coolly, mechanically, up and down, his blue eyes did not miss a beat. He was next to Marber himself, Mercen moved beside him, closely as possible, Dorvacs followed them, clearly unhappy about the loss of his heavy bolter, Lilen trailed behind.

Tuomas however was heaving few difficulties.

''They got no eyes.'' he commented, looking through his bionic eye. With his augmentation he could see fine in his night vision mode, currently he was seeing the world fully.

''It's cause they don't need it, the darkness and all.'' Mercen answered back.

''Let's cut the chatter down as much as possible people.'' Parker replied.

Marber activated his vox-bead.

''Sergeant Darson, do you see anything?'' he asked

''Negative sir, nothing at all.'' Marber was expecting that, they were close, but not quite there yet.

''Any difficulties?'' Marber asked again.

''The usual, darkness, rocks, falling stones, nothing we can't handle.'' Darson reported.

''I see Marber o-'' the Inquisitor was cut off by a scream and a burst of lasgun fire from up ahead.

''Shit, let's move up people!'' Parker barked.

Up ahead, as Marber and his squad moved up, Khaz coming up right behind them and Muller covering their rear, they soon saw flashs of red in the darkness, punctuated by wildly flashing beams of light. Four of the beams hit the floor, rolling about as thumps hit the floor. Obviously their owners were dead. Parker cursed and flashed his light near the ground, the form of a black-shelled creature was reveled.

It was about five feet fall, and eight feet long, covered in a black carapace with scorpion style claws, it had six legs beside it's pincers and his head was eyeless and topping a prawn-like mouth. A shadowcrab, Marber had heard reports of them infesting the deepest parts of Pandora. They had been encountered in the mining operations performed by the Mechanicus who had classified them as a danger.

But they were supposed to live much further underground that the level that Marber and his force were at. What had driven them up here? Or was Marber and his team so far down they had lost all direction and sense of time?

There was no point in wondering about it anymore, he decided, as Parker shot the creature, the over-charged hellgun shot tore off its head and ripped deep into the thorax of the creature. The shadowcrab, collapsed dead on the ground, the stink of burned meat filling the air, something else scuttled nearby and Parker whirled his flashlight above, illuminating another shadowcrab and shooting it.

Dorvacs and Mercen's flashlights found two more scuttling creatures crawling over the corpse of a Catachan, their hellgun shots blew it apart as four more appeared, attacking a blood-covered Sergeant Darson.

Darson's Catachan knife severed the claw of his lead attacker, while his laspistol fired point blank into the head of a shadowcrab, killing it. Marber brought his own hellpistol up and felt it kick in his hands as the ruby bolts punched into the other shadowcrabs.

''What the hell happened!'' Marber shouted.

''Frak! Ambush!'' Darson got to his feet, eyes wild, then a shadowcrab lunged out behind him, it's pincers ripped him in half at the waist, severing his spine in a single blow, killing the Sergeant instantly.

Marber cursed and pulled the trigger on his gun three times, the powerful hell-shots ripped through Darson's corpse to rip into the shadowcrab behind him, the beast fell dead, limbs twitching. Behind Parker the members of Khaz's squad came up, they quickly found scuttling targets in the darkness, las shots quickly found their targets into the darkness, the shadowcrabs scurried and scuttled into the guardsmen as a response.

To the Catachans ire, the lasgun bolts were only causing superficial damage to the shells of the shadowcrabs, a clear liquid ran from the creatures wounds, but they came on.

Only the hellguns of Parker and Marber had were having any effect.

''Turn up your lasguns to full power!'' Sergeant Khaz yelled, switching his lasgun to full-auto mode and full power. He let off in a burst that lasted ten seconds but blew apart seven of the shadowcrabs.

A shadowcrab lunged at Parker who blew it away with a single shot. Another came around to his side, claws outstretched, but Parker was ready, withdrawing his knife in response.

He countered a wild lunge by one claw before reversing the grip on his knife and showing it deep into the head of the shadowcrab, the beast shuddered and writhed for a few seconds before falling limp. Two more shadowcrabs dropped down from the ceiling, but Mercen's hellgun shots stopped them dead. Another shadowcrab lunged at them, but Parker stabbed it with his knife.

Marber withdrew his force blade and channeled it with his psychic energy. The purple glow quickly lit up the cavern, revealing the shadowcrabs far better than the rifle-mounted flashlights could. Fully charged lasgun shots blew the shadowcrabs into corpses, with the Catachans finally racking up kills by the dozens, Marber himself came in, blade flashing as he hacked away the shadowcrabs swarming around the survivors of Darson's squad.

Within less than a minute all the shadowcrabs were either slain or driven off in a brief, blood confrontation. At the end of it Marber kept his blade illuminated as he looked around. Seven of Darson's squad were dead, around them was piled a large heap of shadowcrab corpses. Marber looked to the nearest one, a guardsmen with corporal's stripes on his belt.

''What's your name?'' Marber asked.

''Ralven.'' came the answer.

''Well, Corporal Ralven, you are in command now of your squad.'' the Inquisitor told him.

''I don't seem to have much of a command left.'' replied Ralven darkly.

Marber jerked his sword to Parker. ''Sergeant, do you want to take him in?'' he asked.

Parker studied Ralven. ''I knew Darson's squad, come in, we are already understrength as is.'' he said gruffly.

Marber nodded. ''That was pretty bloody.'' he was referring to the fight.

''Are we close then?'' Parker asked. ''If we lost that much to a single attack…'' he trailed off.

''I think we are, but the behavior of those shadowcrabs didn't match up to the reports I read.'' Marber commented.

''It's not the first time the cogboys were wrong, of course they stopped actually going out into the Green since they first arrived here.'' Parker said disdainfully.

''Regardless, we press on, it's close, I can feel it.'' Marber stated.

''Can you keep that sword lit? It provides better illumination here?'' Parker asked.

Marber pursed his lip. He did not want to waste the energy, but if it would help save the lives of his bodyguards then he himself would be safer.

''Fine.''

* * *

Yeliti looked through the dim darkness of the _urtal_ at the sky people. They stumbled through the dark tunnels clumsily, like children, dangerous children, she reminded herself again. She and her warriors of the Omaticaya had come down into the _urtal_ to protect it. She and two others were currently observing them approach the tunnel to the _urtal_, getting closer and closer.

She readied her shadowcrab steed, her own queue connected to the rear of the shadowcrab's head linking both of them together. She could feel the thump of its internal organs, the sharpness of it's claws, the tense energy of the steed. In return the shadowcrab could see, or have something similar to site. When the Na'vi linked with their steeds, with rider and steed benefited, transforming both into a highly effectively.

And now they would strike, half of her warriors waited high on the ceilings of the _urtal_ chamber while the pother half waited in the shadows of the _urtal_ chamber, ready for ambush. She had considered striking earlier in the tunnel, but had decided to do so as the sky people entered the chamber. There the sky people would be at their weakest if they thought they had finally made it to the end.

But the sky people must never be allowed to through the _urtal_, the very limb of Eywa itself. Yeliti could not imagine the desecration that it would bring.

The first of the sky people emerged into the _urtal_ chamber, their faces slack with surprise at the glowing tree-like thing in the center that stretched from the ceiling to the floor. A soft glow was cast over the cavern.

At that moment the Na'vi attacked.

* * *

When Marber first saw it, he knew that was his objective. The thing was tree-like, pink and glowing, it practically radiated a powerful warp signature to his finely tuned psychic senses.

Unfortunately that was when the Na'vi struck.

An arrow took a Catachan in the throat as flashlights blazed across the shadowed chamber. Briefly Marber's mind wondered how such huge aliens could hide so effectively in the shadows, then the Na'vi struck. Three more Catachans dropped, as lasbolts blazed back, striking down several large blew aliens back to the ground. But the Catachans barely had time to fire those initial shots before the Na'vi were upon them

A hissing Na'vi warrior crushed the skull of a Catachan in as the guardsman's knife slashed across his chest. His club broke another guardsmen's arm, before Marber shot him in the throat with his hellpistol. A second shot blew his brains out.

Parker and Mercen were assaulted from above by a shadowcrab-riding Na'vi. A club sent Mercen spinning, with a broken wrist. Parker quickly grabbed his knife and brought it up to block. His arm jarred from the impact, pain shooting up from his arm as he tried to block. Out of the corner of his vision the shadowcrab lashed out, pincers trying to cut him in half, he leaned back, blood appearing on his stomach as the claws grazed him.

Pain lanced into his form as he stumbled back, the Na'vi urging the shadowcrab forward to claim the kill. But Dorvacs leapt in from behind, slamming his hellgun into the Na'vi's skull with all his strength. The alien's skull collapsed, blood decorating the dark-skinned soldier's face and arms as Parker struggled back to his feet, the shadowcrab shuddered for a moment as it's connection was severed, right before Parker rammed his knife two-handed into the skull. The shadowcrab stopped it's twitching.

Above, Na'vi warriors pierced on the ceiling via their shadowcrabs. They fired arrows into the guardsmen below, taking out several Catachans. Even with the darkness interfering with their aim, even a scratch would have proved to be lethal to the humans, the arrows of the Na'vi had neurotoxins sufficient to make even a nick certain death.

However Lilen noticed this, and brought up his flamer, squeezing the trigger, he sent a gout of promethium right up into the ceiling. Immediately a bright glow suffused the entire cavern as the fire raced among the jutting rock formations.

Na'vi and shadowcrabs were doused with promethium, set aflame, they crashed to the ground, quickly the entire thing devolved into a brutal confusing melee as Lilan added more fire. Yeliti had been lucky to avoid most of the fire, hissing in pain from the burns on her back, she landed her shadowcrab behind Lilen. As the flamer-man turned around to confront her, the claws of her steed decapitated him.

Marber ducked under the blow of a Na'vi warrior, his blade ablaze with amethyst energy as he shoved it through the xenos's warrior's chest, the warp energy channeling through the body of the Na'vi.

Marber yanked the blade out of the smoking hole in the Na'vi warriors' chest and looked around. Another Na'vi came at him, swinging a club in an overhead two-handed swing. Marber ducked under the blow just in time and brought the blade cutting through the Na'vi warrior's chest. The blade exited out the back, having cut through the spine and several vital organs like tissue paper. Marber ran out of the melee heading right in the direction of his objective, a dozen feet in front of him.

He was so close, he had to get to it, if he could, then maybe he could end the war quickly, the Catachans and Parker could take care of the Na'vi, or he could break the Na'vi's spirits in this one move. He felt exhausted, his heart pumped with blood as he glanced around, a Na'vi leapt to intercept him, but a quick flick of his hand sent the Na'vi crashing into the rock wall with a sickening thud.

Another Na'vi noticed him and took aim with a bow. Parker shot him before he could release the arrow, the hellgun shot jerking the Na'vi warrior from its shadowcrab perch, causing it to topple to the ground.

''Can't have you put out my light.'' Parker muttered.

Marber staggered to the tree in the center of the cave and stretched out one hand, throughout the glowing pink surface of the tree, immediately amethyst threads stretched out to wrap around his hand. Marber channeled his powers and dove into the tree to create a connection. To his surprise the entire surface of the tree seemed to reach out and wrap around his fingers, engulfing them.

Instantly things turned black……

…_..he woke inside a world which could not be described by near sight alone. Instead it was more like a waking dream than actually seeing things. Marber was barely aware of his consciousness._

_What he detected surprised him. A vast psychic presence stirred faintly at the edges of his senses, like he was a gnat near the vast sleeping body of a giant who had reflexively swatted an arm. This presence was ancient, older than the race of humanity, and most other in the Cosmos, it was incredibly complex, yet at the same time to simple in a kind of twisted alien fashion._

_Coming closer Marber felt that the psychic consciousness was closer to the Warp then he first imagined. Slowly, he realized that the sleeping giant was made up of countless trillions of psychic signatures. Souls, the planet's mind and soul were in reality countless alien souls that resonated unconsciously. Marber realized faintly that the souls were like the cells of a body to this being._

_He moved closer, entranced, yet terrified of this being, he felt far on its senses, as if distant. The best comparison would be an insect standing on the tip of a human finger, barely noticed._

_Then distant thoughts brought to him._

''_Why…why…are…you…here?'' the voice was not in Gothic, or in any language, but transmitted as a set of feelings and emotions, images and concepts hammered directly into Marber's psyche._

_The Inquisitor tired to pull his mind away from the vast alien consciousness, but the entity pressed on._

''_You…come…lifeless…reckless….soulless…dead.'' it echoed in the mindscape._

_Marber twisted away, but the entity's mind seemed to engulf his own, like a swimmer tossed as sea and beaten down by a storm._

''_You…know…not…what…you…do.'' the voice came, this time as a human male._

_A human figure, male, dark-haired, unshaved appeared, ghostly like an apparition. It reached out for him, finger stretched. It was dressed in a uniform that Marber had not seen anywhere._

''_You….know….not….what….horror…is-''_

……Suddenly the world was yanked away, Marber screamed as the connection was abruptly broken, the entity's own growl of pain echoing faintly in his ears as Parker shoved him to his feet.

The Sergeant's face and rebreather were covered in blood and he was breathing heavily, his mask's respirators working overtime to bring air to his lungs, his eyes started wildly at Marber at the sounds of battle echoed strongly. Marber felt a fierce pounding headache as he looked up, like a shocked child looking for his mother. After a few seconds he heard Parker point and saw something, then he returned to his senses.

The tree was shuddering, as if in pain, ethereal green energy rising up from the ground, the tree seemed to writhe and shudder, before it snaked up suddenly to the room. Incredulously, Parker and Marber watched as the tree transformed into a silvery-pink thing and disappeared through the roof of the cavern. Within seconds there was simply a hole in the ground where it was.

Abruptly the glow disappeared, but the battle continued. The Catachans and the Na'vi were locked in combat, screams echoed about, both human and alien. But it seemed the Na'vi had the advantage in close quarters.

''We've got to get out of here!'' Parker roared, Marber yanked himself up on Parker's muscled arm, the Inquisitor's own limb reaching out to scoop his force sword from the ground hastily.

Rapidly, they moved, Parker sprinting, Marber at first hobbling but then retuning to his full physical peak as they barreled through the melee. But some miracle they were able to get through unscathed. Parker was shouting orders, in front of the darkness, half illuminated by flashlights, was Muller's squad coming up, lasguns firing, Guardsmen were withdrawing from the fight as quickly as they could.

They were not running, Catachans did not flee. Catachans were scared of very few things. Coolly as they could in the circumstances, they withdrew rapidly from the fight.

The Na'vi made to pursue, running after them, energized by this newfound victory over the Imperials, when the first three of them simply disappeared in a shower of blood.

Flashlights rapidly pointed at the Na'vi, briefly, a tall, inhuman figure, seemingly made of shadow and blades, tearing several of them apart with ease, its blades fleshing flesh and blood with ease. Then something else leapt out, a twin to the first, it cut apart two Catachans with ease. Its claws decapitated one and opened the other from throat to ground in a single clean stroke.

It all happened in two seconds.

Parker's orders bellowed hastily down the cavern as the Catachans ran as fast as they could, not bothering to firing their lasguns, or look around. Na'vi screams sounded down the corridor as they ran. Marber ran faster, recognizing the thing back there as not native to Pandora. He recognized that staying there was certain death. Knowledge of this pumped his legs as fast as he could run.

Up ahead Parker shouted something, Marber could not quite make it out, he felt like blood was ringing in his ears. His boots crunched stones underneath as they came out of the cave entrance.

Looking out, Marber was it was dusk. He could see now without the need of a flashlight, or his sword. But he now that that the river was the scene of a battle.

* * *

**A Half hour before**

Tel'rek looked down upon the sky people from above on his _ikran_. He gazed from the side as the beast's wings propelled him through Pandora's air with ease, over thirty of his warriors followed on their own _irkan_.

The sky people had sent in scouts, no doubt to test the way into the _urtal_. A clever move, he grudgingly thought. However it would do little to aid them, he had complete faith in Yeliti. Tel'rek noted that there where barely eighty sky people left down there, he had well over two hundred warriors and even more when Vas'tey brought his warriors with him. Combined, they had more than enough strength to destroy the sky people.

Even the forest creatures themselves leant their strength. Eywa itself commanded the denizens of the forest to fight alongside the Na'vi and lend their strength against the sky people's machines of war. The mighty _angtisk_ brought down their beats of iron, the powerful _palulukan_ tore apart enemy warriors by the dozen. The _nantang_ came in vast swarms and the _toruk _themselves were rumored to appear.

Kel'val, the leader of the Omaticaya was a _toruk makto_. He had successfully bonded with the great creature. He became a rallying symbol to all the clans of the land, even the Raemacia. But even with all the lands united victory looked uncertain, no matter now many sky people that Tel'rek and his warriors killed, there was always a seemingly endless tide of more of them.

But there was no time for such thoughts now. He gazed down at the sky people, who trampled the grass and plants underfoot, dirtying the stream as they gazed around dumbly, ignorant to the destruction they caused. He would end their destruction now. Vas'tey and his warriors were readied below, with their _pa'li_ would carry out the ground attack, while he and his own force would come form the skies.

There would be no escape.

* * *

Na'vi swooped down, firing bows into the Catachans on the ground, taking down several with excellent accuracy. Lasgun fire stabbed upwards trough the dusk, taking down several xenos flyers.

Torenson turned his attention away from that and fired his bolt pistol, blowing a Na'vi rider off his Direhorse and sending him crashing to the ground. More arrows came from the riders as the Catachans responded. The Na'vi had come from the forests about fifteen minutes after Marber had entered the canes. Torenson had posted sentries and set up a perimeter to guard against any attack, and his caution proved right.

The Na'vi came flying out of the darkness above, charging out of the thick blue-green jungle around them, right after a short, but fierce arrow barrage that had claimed the lives of many guardsmen.

The company's three heavy bolters had proved to be punishing on the Na'vi, scything down entire ranks and bloodying the enemy quite badly right until the gunners had finally been slain by arrows from above and the position overran. But that Catachans held, even as the Na'vi climbed over the corpses of their fellow warriors to engage the humans. Flamers bursts sent xenos warriors aflame across the field.

Xenos warriors fell among the Guardsmen, knives flashing as the two sides went into a bloody melee. Torenson cursed and withdrew his own chainblade, activating the stud as he did so.

The chainsword countered a knife and severed a Na'vi arm that came over his head, the second stroke decapitated the Na'vi. The captain brought his second-strike two handed into a direhorse, beheading it. Despite its name, a chainsword was used more as a brute force chopping weapon, like a bladed club, or a larger cleaver. And Torenson was using it very effectively against the direhorses.

However a single man was not enough to turn the tide of battle. Some limb in the flashing melee knocked his rebreather mask from his face and Torenson's lungs burned from the poisonous Pandoran air. He fell to the ground, his chainsword falling from his hands to cut grass on the floor. He had never breathed the air of Pandora before, but it felt like agony, he was unable to breath in any way.

There was a shout and someone pressed a spare rebreather to him, as his aide dragged him back from the melee, Guardsmen with grenade launchers and flamers covered him, blowing back several direhorse-riding Na'vi. Torenson's lungs whizzed as he received his much needed air. He looked about. While it was hard to get a complete picture in the Chaos of battle, it liked like the Catachans were falling under sheer numbers.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the forms of Marber and Parker emerge from the cave.

_Took your sweet time didn't you_? He thought, right before something collided with his head and sent him spiraling into unconsciousness.

* * *

**AN Notes: And it ends in a cliffhanger....**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes: Here's chapter five were the Astartes finally appear. If you don't know who the Raptors are they are a Second Founding Raven Guard successor that specialises in jungle fighting. They were on the way to a warzone when their ships crash landed on a jungle deathworld and they were forced to adapt their power armor with osmotic gills.**

**Eventually they escaped and now are highly adept at jungle warfare. They were kind of a no-brainer chapter to put on Pandora, along with the Catachans who specialsed in jungle warfare as well. **

**bbb: The Marines are very, very rare in the context of the Imperium, Pandora is a single battlefield in an entire galactic Empire, currently the Imperials on Pandora are lucky to just have the Raptors. However other Astartes might appear later in the story when the Eldar come in mass.**

**Spirit of Sherwood: I'm glad you liked the Jake Sully cameo. He and the RDA won't be making an appearance other than through Eywa's memories.**

**As always thanks to those who reviewed, you really help inspire me to continue with this. Reviews and comments are welcome, both positive and negative (hopefully of the constructive kind)**

* * *

**Invasion of Pandora-**

**Chapter 5**

From above screamed a flight of Valkyries, there were twelve of them, swooping in high above to skim over the treetops. Leading them was a larger, bulkier gunship painted in olive green. The Valkyries soon came over the battle site where Torenson's men were fighting for their lives. The Gunships opened fire with frag rockets and heavy bolters into the Banshee riding Na'vi.

Two dozen Na'vi were blown out of the air, even as they twisted and flew, individually the Banshees were faster and more maneuverable, being adapted for Pandora's increased gravity and atmosphere.

However that was about to change soon.

The Thunderhawk's rear hatch opened and ten hulking figures jumped out. They were clad in olive green plate with a white hawk's head on one shoulder guard and bulky thruster packs.

Astartes, the gene-enhanced warriors of the Emperor. These where the battle brothers of the Raptors fifth company, all of them from a chapter of stealth specialists and veteran jungle fighters. They activated their packs, trails of fire spurting out from the thrusters as they flew up readily in the air. They opened fire with their handheld bolt pistols, blowing the Na'vi out of the sky.

.75 caliber rocket-propelled rounds simply blew Banshee limbs off and punched Na'vi off from their flying mounts like a scrumball being thrown by a prize quarterbacker, the air was soon filled with red mist. Seeing these newcomers enter the fray and the heavy casualties they were taking, the Banshee riding Na'vi quickly flew upwards and away, urging their mounts to fly away as fast as possible.

Satisfied by the retreat, the Valkyries, hovered above, rappelling lines descending from three of them, all Catachans Devils dispatched by Colonel Landers himself, they quickly deployed in with hellguns and flamers. However the Thunderhawk hovered about fifteen meters from the ground. Brother-Sergeant Xavios Tarmek of the Raptors Chapter glanced down, his features obscured by his helm.

''Brother Tarmek we have secured the airspace.'' the voice of Assault- Sergeant Aeried came over the vox.

''Understood, move in and neutralize the area of hostiles, I will retrieve our objective.'' he commanded sharply. Tarmek readied his bolter as the Thunderhawk lowered itself down to ten meters.

He leapt, nine others of his squad followed behind him, all members of the Raptors 5th Company assigned to Pandora. Ten power armored boots landed on the earth of Pandora with a thud.

A normal man would have been stunned by such a fall, maybe even suffering some broken bones. But Tarmek's superhuman enhancements and power armor exoskeleton meant he shrugged off the blow with ease.

''For Corax brothers!'' he roared in the inter-squad vox. He rapidly took sight of the nearest Na'vi and shot it, the bolter round tearing off the upper body of the alien in a crimson spray.

The Raptors dove in, bolters taking out Na'vi quickly and efficiently. The xenos fired back, but even the spear-sized Na'vi arrows bounced off the ceramite plate that the Raptors wore. Tarmek assessed the situation. It looked like the commander of the Guard company was being surrounded and starting to get cut off by over two dozen Na'vi warriors, The Inquisitor was just arriving out of the cave. He would have to move quickly.

The loud scream of jump packs filled the air as Aeried came right on schedule, just as Tarmek expected him too. Raising his power axe Aeried dove in, cleaving a Na'vi's arm from its body before blowing its brains out. Two Na'vi, each with sword-like knives, dove at him from both sides, he shot one in the stomach, blowing it back with his bolt pistol. The other's knife glanced off his left elbow plate as he tackled the xenos. He then promptly brought down his shimmering power axe and split its head in two.

The assault marines laid into the Na'vi, chainswords roaring as they hacked off limbs and heads with equal abandon. The Na'vi were quickly taken off guard by the sudden Astartes strike. They fought back in close combat as best they could, but they were outmatched by the Astartes. Physically, the Na'vi were almost the equal of the Raptors, especially in the altered gravity of Pandora, but the power armor and vastly superior weaponry was more than enough to tip the scales in the Marines' favor.

Tarmek drew his power sword, activating the stud in the hilt to produce a shimmering blue glow. A Na'vi warrior leapt at him while an arrow barely missed his gorget. Tarmek shot the archer, the round blowing the xenos' corpse into a nearby bush. The Na'vi that faced him wielded a massive club, quickly it swung it two handed at the sergeant. Tarmek sidestepped and drove his power sword one handed into the throat of the Na'vi before wrenching it out.

A dozen and a half Direhorse-riding Na'vi charged at the Raptors, as slim their chances in close combat were, the xenos still recognized they had a better chance in close quarters were they could hopefully find a joint to pierce. Most of Tarmek's tactical squad was preoccupied in dealing with the rest of the Na'vi, cutting a bloody path through them like a knife through hot butter, Tarmek and two of his brothers opened fire, switching to three-round burst action.

A hail of bolter rounds tore through the Na'vi, blowing grapefruit sized holes in the bodies of the Direhorses and aliens. All but one Na'vi survived the barrage as it leapt forward. The heavy beast's momentum was enough to knock Brother Tomaz to the ground with the sudden charge. The Na'vi brought its spear down and rammed it through the right arm joint.

Tarmek moved, his power sword blazing as he severed the Na'vi's spear arm in one blow, followed by a second strike which cut off the Na'vi's head at eye level. The other Raptor kicked the Direhorse off his brother. Tarmek helped Tomaz up. The Astartes's enhanced immune system was already working to purge the xenos' poisons that the spear was coated with. If Tomaz was a normal man he would be dying right now.

Tarmek mused he really must be slipping to let such an attack happen. He mentally assigned himself added duty in the firing rages aboard the Raptors Strike Cruiser _Corax's Talon_ as penitence He brought his bolter back up, sheathing his power sword. He took aim, blowing apart several Na'vi that were near the Inquisitor with precise accurate fire, all of them kill shots. His bolter clicked to signify it was empty and he reached into his belt for another.

He reloaded his bolter and strode over to where Marber. Parker was snapping off several shots at any near Na'vi as Tarmek and three other Raptors moved in to cover the Inquisitor.

''The Emperor relay does protect.'' Parker observed dryly at the arrival of the Astartes. Dorvac and Mercen meanwhile were in awe. Even for the Catachans seeing the Emperor's own Angels was a novel experience.

''Inquisitor Marber.'' Tarmek said, his vox-unit on his helmet grille booming.

Marber got to his feet. ''The Raptor Chapter? I though you were still on the other side of the planet?'' he said. His head still rung from the after affects of meeting the planetary mind.

''We have reached new orders from Inquisitor Lord Gedsar of the Ordo Xenos'' Tarmek said.

Marber pondered this information. His old mentor was taking this more personally than he thought. On one level he was grateful for the help, but on another he was offended that the old man decided he could not do this on his own.

An arrow whistled through the air towards Marber's face, Tarmek caught it in mid-flight and crushed it. Parker tacked the arrow's trajectory to its archer and promptly shot the alien.

''We can talk later, we are order to extract you immediately.'' Tarmek said, pointing to the landed Thunderhawk.

''What about my squad?'' asked Parker.

''There are several Valkyries with empty space in them, I'm not in charge of your extraction.'' Tarmek said simply. He picked up Marber with one massive gauntlet, the Inquisitor was too tired to resist.

Tarmek crossed the battlefield with great strides, his bolter barking in one hand as he shot any Na'vi that looked like they where getting too close. The rest of his squad formed a cordon around him and the Inquisitor. But it was not really necessary. It soon became clear that the Na'vi were withdrawing. Skilled and brave they might be, there was nothing they could really do to resist twenty of the Emperor's Astartes plus the Catachan veterans.

One of the Na'vi blew a horn and they began to flee rapidly. Thos who had Direhorses attempted to gallop away, but as they were the largest targets they were shot down first, those on foot had better luck, they fled into the jungle.

In a few minutes the only Na'vi left were the dead and dying.

The Valkyries and the Thunderhawk all set down as Tarmek brought Inquisitor Marber into the gunship and seated him, in, securing him with crash restraints, one by one other brothers of the Raptors chapter entered. The Thunderhawk's doors closed as its thrusters aviated. The gunship lifted off from the ground even as the Catachans themselves boarded their own transports and followed.

Meanwhile a tall, slender shape watched from the shadows, cloaked in a veil of shadows, Sarthial of Craftworld Biel-Tan watched the crude mon-keigh ships lift up and leave over the treetops. He glanced around over the battlefield, some of the mon-keigh corpses and the Na'vi bodies were left. Soon the local Pandoran carrion eaters would come and begin to feast on such a rich bounty. Soon this place would be filled with the sweet scent of rot.

Sarthial cared not for the crude mon-keigh or the clumsy Na'vi. He cared only somewhat more for his Craftworld. He only cared about protecting this planet from the ancient evil beneath. To that end he and his band of rangers had been contracted by Farseer Kylia to scout out this alien planet. The local fauna had been interesting, but nothing he had not handled before in his centuries of wandering.

He glanced at the cave entrance, the mon-keigh had entered there and had undoubtedly encountered a part of the planet's own networked intelligence. That was not something Kylia would be happy about. But it was not really his decision to worry about. He role was in the shadows. Quickly he gathered his cloak around him and slipped deeper in the jungle to make his report.

* * *

**Base 16**

Marber walked through the base unsteadily. The connection with the alien tree-intelligence had taken a lot of him. He had experienced much by melding his mind temporarily with it. He had seen many things and secrets. Undoubtedly he had learnt much to the completion of his mission. Even if that tree he encountered was not the main intelligence, he knew where the main intelligence was and it with that a chance to end the war. He had not any time to properly brief with Colonel Landers, however hopefully he would be able to do so with him soon. During his visit with the alien intelligence Marber had been submerged briefly in its consciousness, thus learning several important bit's of information.

He felt the bandages on his chest, tightened as he breathed. He walked higher down the hallway to the medical center. He had been rushed into the med-bay and tended by Karlon as soon as he arrived. The Raptors left as soon as they came. The Third Company of the 36th had all been successfully evacuated and were now on rest leave. Their wounded had already been taken care of and placed in the rather empty medi-bay of Base 16. After all, on Pandora the Na'vi's poisons left few survivors.

After a good night's sleep and some bandages he was feeling much better. He stopped at one of the beds and looked down at the bandaged form of Captain Torenson resting in the med-cot. The captain was wrapped in bandages and wore a set of bandages on his head, obscuring one eye. The other was blinking with alertly at the approach of the Inquisitor. Torenson clearly did not expect him.

''Captain it's good to see you.'' he said. The Catachans glanced up.

''Why are you here? I thought the Inquisition is finished here after that debacle.'' he replied suspiciously.

''It was no debacle.'' Marber spoke.

''Was it not? We went in there, and seemingly recovered nothing and lost casualties for nothing..'' Torenson shot back.

''We retrieved valuable information.'' Marber tapped his head.

''What do you mean?'' asked Torenson.

''That cave, held part of the alien intelligence…it's hard to exactly describe the experience but the best I can liken it to as being like the nervous system of the human body, I just got in contact with the intelligence.''

''You talked to a planet?'' questioned Torenson in disbelief. ''That's-''

''-Something you don't experience I'm sure. But you don't have to worry.'' The Inquisitor explained. He leaned forward.

''Tell me, are you angry that you lost your men?'' he asked.

''Damned straight, you learn not to throw away your troops on Catachan.'' Torenson said.

''Your trooper were never thrown away, we've gained a valuable set of information that will bring us one step closer to winning the war.'' Marber explained.

Torenson looked at him dubiously.

''I've found the location of the Na'vi hometree, in other words, the base of the local clan.'' Marber explained.

''Your shitting me.''

''I'm afraid not.'' the hometrees were hard to locate for the Imperials, given the planet's magnetic atmosphere messing up any orbital scans and the fact that all trees on Pandora seemingly looked alike did not help matters.

''So we can end this? Are we going to blow it up?'' The Captain asked.

''No, we've got something lese in mind for it.''

* * *

**Craftworld Biel-Tan**

The Tower of Heart was one of the largest and tallest structures on Craftworld Biel-Tan, it reached up many miles into the heart of the planet-sized spacecraft's own artificial atmosphere At the top was located the council rooms of Biel-Tan's ruling Exarch Council and the mediation chambers of the Farseers who predicted the movements of fate and the turn of the future.

It, and the other towers of Biel-Tan were threaded with deposits of wraithbone gracefully worked into the structure over the many millennia ago when Biel-Tan had been constructed before the fall. It towered over the massive living complexes and habitation domes that set before it. If one stood at the top of the tower they could see for almost twenty miles out. But even that was a tiny part of Biel-Tan.

Kylia waved aside two Warlock guards who looked at her as she walked down a hallway made of wraithbone and crystal that led to the main council chamber for Biel-Tan's rulers and seers. The hallway was beautiful, shimmering faintly as she moved across it. There were tiny eldar runes carved into the sides and floor that ran with the power of the warp, coalescing the power of the craftworld.

The doors ahead were double-sided and had the symbol of Biel-Tan on them, Kylia waved and then opened gently, revealing the main chamber ahead were several figures sat. The Farseer stepped in and the twin great doors closed behind her. The chamber was large, about thirty meters in diameter, with a circle of thrones around a large crystal in the center of the chamber that glowed with the Infinity Matrix of the craftworld. The ceiling of the chamber was like a piece of the night sky cut into place, complete with stars.

High Autarch Farier looked at her as he sat on a wraithbone throne. He was clad in his formfitting green and white plate that gleamed softly in the twilight of the chamber He had his helmet off, revealing his long white hair tied back in a scalplock. His features were composed and noble. Farier was one of the highest ranking warriors on the craftworld and a senior member at the Court of the Young King, he had traveled all of the aspect paths at least once and many more than twice.

Farseer Ryothil was seated next to him in his deep emerald robes. Ryothil was the Farseer counterpart to Farier. Unlike on other craftworlds, the warriors ruled Biel-Tan, not the seers. But that did not make him a figurehead or unimportant, seers were vital to the survival of Biel-Tan and it's armies just as much as any Exarch or Aspect Warrior, sometimes even more so.

Kylia walked over to a nearby throne and bowed briefly before seating herself. The Chamber was mostly empty, only rarely was it filled to its maximum state, most of Biel-Tan's rulers were busied elsewhere.

''Farseer, we have been waiting for you.'' Farier said to her as she seated.

''It is an honor to meet again.'' Kylia said.

''As is to hear your return, what news from Eatihal's Shield?'' Ryothil asked.

''It is as I feared, the mon-keigh are encroaching on the Keeper in their usual brutish manner,'' she reported.

''Is there any danger in awakening the _yngir_?'' Farier asked.

Kylia sighed. ''Yes, in their brute stupidity they are dangerously close to doing it, why the visions of our craftworld has not detected this sooner, I shall not know, but the mon-keigh must be stopped.''

''How much should we commit to stopping this, is force required yet? Or can subtler methods prevail?'' asked Ryothil.

''I am afraid the mon-keigh are too advanced and too far set to stop now,'' Kylia said. ''The Na'vi, while brave and determined, are even more primitive then the mon-keigh, although far wiser.'' she stated.

''Then we must fight.'' Farier stated, he ran a hand over a rune on his throne and the crystal in the center of the room projected a glowing blue world into the air.

''Eaithal's Shield must not be breached, the Keeper must be protected, along with its people.'' the High Autarch stated gravely. He waved his arm over another rune.

''Autarch Lithial shall take command of four hosts, they should be enough to destabilize and drive off the mon-keigh.'' he said softly.

Ryothil turned to Kylia. ''What about the Na'vi, are they some use at all?'' he asked.

Kylia pondered for a moment, then spoke. ''Yes, I believe they would be useful tools to help deny the mon-keigh from breaching the Keeper.''

''They are even more primitive than the mon-keigh, correct?'' Farier asked.

''You are correct, High Autarch, but their level of sophistication matters not, they are easily manipulated and will only make the battle easier against the mon-keigh, whether they live or die does not matter.'' Kylia reported.

Farier completed for a few moments.

''Then do so, make contact with them Kylia and prepare to reclaim Eatihal's shield from the mon-keigh, we cannot allow the _yngir_ to be awakened.''

* * *

**Marber's Aquila Shuttle**

Marber stepped into the darkened room inside of his shuttle. He shut the doors behind him and walked carefully into the center of the round, ten meter long room. Not even Karlon was allowed in here without a direct order from Marber. It was a darkened room, lined with odd machinery from the Dark Age of Technology. Such devices were extremely rare and hard to find for anyone that was not of the Inquisition, they had been given to him by his former lord Gedsar.

He stepped into the center pedestal and activated the control panel on the main railing, recalling the lessons that Gedsar's personal techpriest had him memorize for when eh needed to do this. Only he and Karlon knew how to activate this, he had shown the savant who copied it very quickly thanks to his implanted memory circuits. Only he would be able to contact the others in the event of an emergency.

He was contacting these people over several star system away, this was one of the few things left in the galaxy that could contact people without the warp interference. All of these people were fortunate merely to posses other part's of this machine. He activated the machines and they thrummed with power, if his savant was correct when taking into account the differing planetary times and the warp travel he would be contacting his collogues about now.

And they appeared.

There were three silhouettes that came from each of the three pedestals that were arranged around the room. There were ten pedestals in total, but Marber had only three contacts currently.

The one of the right was a feminine shape, flickering in the blue light of the pedestal. This was Inquisitor Aeria Systos of the Ordo Xenos and one of his current partners in this operation.

The one on the left was tall, but bulky. That was Inquisitor Ros Bracken, also of the Ordo Xenos and one of the most dangerous men that Marber had ever known, like Systos he was also a partner.

But the final shape was an old man, his face shadowed by the flickering blue of the holo-gram, but Marber did not need to see his face to know who he was, it was his former teacher, Gedsar.

It was he who spoke first.

''Who goes our operations on Pandora?'

''Well, I have conducted a mission with the local Guard and have fought the Na'vi.'' Marber reported.

''Did you find them tough?'' Bracken asked.

''Of course.'' Marber replied.

''What of the planetary intelligence?'' asked Systos

''I've managed to contact a small portion of it.'' Marber replied.

''Explain.'' she said.

''It would be hard for non-psykers'' he said, out of them all Bracken was not a psyker. The Inquisitor in question grunted.

''Continue on as best as you can.'' Gedsar said.

''Very well, what I contacted was very much like a nerve of a body, not the central part, but like that of a limb.'' he said.

''And the intelligence? What did you experience?'' Systos asked again.

''It was massive, far larger than we expected, I would need a larger stock of psykers in order to properly connect with it and achieve our objectives.'' Marber explained.

''How intelligent is it?'' Systos asked.

''Quite, it seemed aware of my presence, but did not move to stop me until the last minute. Interestingly it seemed to be made up of a variety of warp presences.'' Marber continued.

''Like souls?'' Bracken asked.

''Yes, like souls, I could sense trillions of Na'vi souls in it, presumably those who had died and linked with the planet.'' Marber replied.

''So I guess the information about it being worshipped as a god has truth in it.'' rumbled Gedsar. ''Anything else?''

''In addition to that I have received a variety of information from the creature.''

This caught the rest of the group's attention.

''What kind of information?'' Systos asked sharply.

''I am not tainted,'' Marber snapped, ''I already went into the purification issues.''

''Then what did you get? How much was the contact?'' asked Gedsar.

''It was very brief, and in images more than words, I saw things on the planet, unobtanium, Na'vi, us, and something else, something darker.'' Marber explained.

''Darker?'' asked Systos.

''I can't really explain it, it was all so quick and confusing, but what I did get was the location of the local Na'vi home base.'' he said.

''The one in Area 16? The largest Na'vi resistance on the planet?'' asked Bracken.

''I believe so.'' Marber answered.

''We should destroy it then, it would be one step closer to winning this war.'' Systos suggested.

''No,'' Gedsar interrupted. ''We should capture it instead.'' the group looked at him.

''We have encountered precious few hometrees in our campaign here on Pandora, we have not been able to actually capture one intact and study it.'' Gedsar explained.

''It would take more troop to capture one intact, especially one such as large as this.'' Marber questioned.

''We have more guardsmen, We have more than enough regiments to seize the hometree, along with a company of Astartes if needed.'' Gedsar dismissed his concerns.

''I see'' Marber said simply. He did not think they needed to capture the hometree, but Gedsar was the older one who was senior here.

''You should lead the assault, you are most familiar with the Na'vi, as such you should be the one to study their hometree once you capture it. If anything that place should tell us were the main planetary intelligence if we mange to interrogate the leaders.'' Gedsar said.

''And once we do that we will be one step closer to finding the main part of the planet intelligence and we can end the war and take our objective.'' Bracken said.

''This meeting is concluded, goodbye.'' Gedsar winked out, his hologram disappearing, followed by Systos and Bracken, leaving Marber alone in the room.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes:** Here's chapter six, I note that my posting of new chapters might slow down as college and various other projects involve me. This does not mean I will be abandoning this story, far from it.

**Northern_Megas:** It's not exactly the Eldar arming the Na'vi, I can't imagine that the Eldar would even consider it in their arrogance. But there will be an alliance.

* * *

**Invasion of Pandora**

Chapter 6

Marber walked into the briefing room of Base One, the pair of stormtroopers stepped aside as he entered, both of them elite members of Lord-General Thasion's lifeguard, both clad in ornate white and gold carapace armor with matte black hellguns. Karlon followed behind him. Base One was not so much as a base as a Capitol Imperialis in the middle of twenty miles of cleared jungle. Around it was built a pre-fabricated spaceport and massive barrack facilities for the Guard.

Thasion himself stayed mostly in his battle fortress, content to oversee the various campaigns that occurred across Pandora from the safety of his holo-room and with the help of a team of tacticians. The command and observation room was much bigger than at Base 16, almost fifty meters in circumference with several larger cables snaking up from the floor to connect to a massive holo table.

A command pedestal was arranged at the head of the holo-projector and a variety of figures where milling about, they where a mixture of red-uniformed tacticians and a mix of Guard officers in a variety of uniforms. Colonel Landers was there, along with nine other Catachan colonels and their various hangers-on and second in commands. Others where present too, including a colonel that Marber recognized as an Elysian.

The Raptors where here, a hulking figure in olive green plate stood at ready, Marber recognized a captain's tactical markings on his shoulder guards. He had his helmet off, displaying his pale, scarred features. Representatives from the Mechanicus where here two, probably from their genobiologist division. They shuffled about in their red robes, the faint sound of gears whirling caught Marber's senses as he passed them by.

''As, Inquisitor Marber, its good you are here.''

Thasion was a thin, cadaverous man of about average height. He wore a white and gold uniform with his rank pips of a Lord General, his left eye was replaced with a bionic enhancement. His long, thing fingers drummed the edges of his command pedestal. Thasion was a fairly unremarkable general, Marber knew, but he had enough competence and more importantly, enough family connections in the highest levels of the Segmentum command to get ahold of the Pandora Pacification force, otherwise known as the 2334th Army.

Marber nodded as he came up.

''Indeed, I trust this can begin?'' he asked.

''Quite.'' Thasion pressed a button. The table thrummed briefly with power and then a holographic lightshow activated. After a few seconds the image of the planet appeared perfectly.

Then the image zoomed into the surface of the planet, lines appearing across the surface like spiderwebs, each with a variety of numbers and data-runes scrawling across it. Rapidly it sketched out the area of Base 16.

''Out latest offensive, shall occur here.'' Thasion marked out a spot on the map, almost forty miles from where Base 16 was located.

''Thanks to intelligence the Inquisitor has provided us, this is the location of the headquarters of the local xenos tribe here.'' Thasion did not mention exactly where he got it.

''There? What's so special about this one base?'' asked the Elysian colonel, a narrow, rat-faced man with grey-blue eyes and a rather alert gaze. His jungle camouflaged uniform hung close to his frame.

''Colonel Raes, this base is believed to sit on a particularly large site of unobtanium, if the large deposits we found in Area 16 have any indication.'' Thasion explained.

''But we have another objective.'' Marber reminded him.

''Yes, our primary objective it asking this place as intact as possible, which is why we cannot simply bomb it from orbit.'' Thasion said.

''Intact?'' Raes raised an eyebrow. ''Really? That's going to cost men.''

''It will, but it would be the first one that we've found on Pandora intact so far.'' Thasion replied.

''In addition,'' Marber cut in. ''It may lead us to the central location of the Na'vi planetary intelligence'' he said. Everyone here in the room had already been briefed on that secret.

''That? I can't believe we are operating under that sort of thing.'' A Catachan colonel said.

''Regardless of what you believe, it's the truth,'' Marber shrugged. ''Whatever you think it would still be an invaluable cache of information on the Na'vi.'' he explained.

''What do we need information for?'' Landers said. ''We just have to kill them.''

''We don't really fully understand the Na'vi, or how they manipulate the nature around them, if nothing else it would make operations easier and make killing them more efficient.'' Marber replied.

''But that's not the issue.'' Thasion said, pressing another rune and bringing up a close up view of a piece of forest. A piece of the forest was highlighted quickly.

''We believe this is the Na'vi homebase, we have been unable to find anything about any internals however, but we believe that we might have discovered entrance ways we can use here and here.''

The map changed again, showing off various different points on the ground.

''The attack will occur at 0800, The operation will be a combined aerial and ground thrust.'' Thasion said.

''Is ground forces really required?'' asked the Elysian.

''Yes, we need to launch mop up operations on the ground and we don't have enough machines as it is.'' Thasion said.

''I am to assume my regiment is going along?'' asked Landers.

''Correct, the Catachan and 206th will launch the ground assault, while the Elysian 112th under Colonel Raes will arrive here and secure the tree itself while the ground forces move in for support, the Catachan 36th will be split on air and ground.'' Thasion directed.

''We also received help from Brother-Captain Thraxos of the Raptors chapter.'' he indicated the Astartes.

''Indeed, me and my brothers will accompany the 112th on the aerial assault and help penetrate the tree itself.'' the Astartes said simply.

''As for the penetration of the tree itself, I will have command.'' Inquisitor Marber said, causing heads to look at him.

''I cannot let anything major happen to the tree, and I would like to capture some of the important Na'vi leaders for interrogation purposes.'' Marber let the last bit to trail off, hoping that the officers around him would not press further.

And it worked, nobody in the Guard cared to know about whatever kind of tortures that the Inquisitor had in hand. Thasion merely nodded lightly.

''I've already sent more communiqués to the chosen regiments in preparation, hopefully if this all goes off without a hitch we can end this war quickly.''

* * *

**Omaticacya Hometree**

Vas'tey slept softly in the borrowed hammock in the hometree of the Omaticaya. He and the rest of the Raemacia had been offered lodging at the home of the clan as thanks for their help in battle. Room was no objection, the Omaticaya had lost enough of their clan over the last two years to have plenty of room for the Raemacia and many more besides. The Raemacia's mounts were also taken care of.

Vas'tey met with Kel'val, the chieftain of the Omaticaya and the first Toruk Makto in ten generations. He had been impressed with the warrior's leadership skills and charisma and even more by the hulking form of the Toruk by his side. Vas'tey had seen them afar, and heard plenty of the legends, but he had never gotten so close as to touch one before. It was truly a terrifying beast, but even he was not sure it would triumph over the sky people.

His mind was then disturbed by something else. It was faint at first, he barely noticed it until it grew stronger and stronger, brushing up on his mind more and more until it demanded his attention.

He answered it briefly. _Who are you?_ He asked.

_A friend_, the voice was female, but alien somehow and not like Eywa's mental touch. It was something different.

_What kind of friend?_ He asked.

_A one with mutual enemies,_ it answered.

_What do you refer to?_ He asked, but he already knew the answer.

_You call them the ''sky people'' we refer to them as the mon-keigh, suffice to say at the moment we are aligned as enemies._

_Enemies, you come with the sky people?_ He felt a flash of anger at the realization.

Something reached out, cooling it. _No, we have come here long before the sky people, we have visited many moons ago, and have only recently returned,_ it said.

_You have come here? From where?_ Vas'tey asked.

_From a land a land I cannot describe._ It answered.

_Cannot describe?_ Vas'tey was more confused now, and it only spurred his curiosity. _What do you mean?_

_Can you describe a dream as clear as the waking reality?_ It answered. Such things are not easy.

_Do you live in a world of dreams then?_ Vas'tey asked, what kind of beings where they?

_As far as you can understand, yes, we do live in a world of dreams._ It answered.

_Can you show me?_ Vas'tey asked.

_No_

_Then how do I know this in itself is not a dream?_

_You will find out eventually in a few days,_ the voice said cryptically.

_What do you mean? Explain yourself_

_The sky people, as you call them, fight you, you fight bravely, but your weapons cannot match theirs, it is like an insect fighting a giant…_ the voice trailed off.

_If you come to tell me things that I already know then why do you come at all?_ Vas'tey asked.

_It is quite simple, we are both shared in the same common cause to defeat the ''sky people''_ it answered.

_If that is true, then what is your quarrel with them?_ Vas'tey asked, somewhat suspicious

_Our quarrel is more than you can imagine, it would take years simply to explain the full history of it._ It said.

_Years? You cannot be serious_

_I am, why should one ally be not serious to another?_

_Are we allies now? I did not agree with you yet_

'_Yet' being the key word in this discussion_

_You speak in riddles._ Vas'tey tried again.

_It would do well of you to solve them…. If that's true_

_What does that mean?_

_What one considers a riddle might be the basic truth to another, it all depends on perspective._ The voice said.

_Then what will I see in the morning then?_ Vas'tey asked.

_Not much…yet, but you will soon see._

See what? Vas'tey asked, but he received no response.

* * *

**Eldar Camp**

Kylia broke off the connection with the Na'vi that she had deliberately sought out and she stood up from her meditative position. Her helmet's rebreather sucked in lightly as she stood up. Deep within the Pandoran forest the Eldar war camp was assembled, it was a sprawling thing, almost four miles long, but hidden from prying eyes by the ancient technologies of the Eldar.

Out from the webway gate came more and more warriors of the craftworld. Lithial's hosts, brightly colored Aspect Warriors, green and white armored Guardians, great grav-tanks, they all came. The proud forms of the Wraithlords stalked out of the gates, their heads barely clearing the gate. Behind them came a line of jetbikes who gunned gracefully out in perfect formation.

The webway gates on this world where smaller and less advanced than on other worlds, due to this fact the Eldar where unable to bring any of their heaviest tanks or great war-titans. It was a regrettable fact but Kylia knew that what strength they had would have to suffice, such was the danger of the yngir that the Eldar could really not afford to hold back.

Thousands of Eldar where arriving, they would form the tip of the spear that would drive back the humans off this world. Much blood would be spilled, but in the end it would prevent a great evil.

''Did you contact the locals?'' Lithial asked as he came up He was clad in his armor, masked as usual, like all of the warriors of Biel-Tan on this world.

''Correct, I have found a great warrior.''

''Do you think they will be able to cooperate properly?'' Lithial asked, the distain for the Na'vi evident in his voice.

''Yes, I believe so when I looked into his soul I saw… something.'' Kylia trailed off.

''Something?'' Lithial asked.

''Something like iron, but it does not matter, we just need their cooperation in driving out the mon-keigh.'' she continued.

''I don't understand why we have to wait, I know we have sufficient strength to destroy the local mon-keigh fortresses in this area.'' Lithial questioned.

''We must wait until the mon-keigh have completed their initial assault on the hometree, once they have done that we will come in, once the Na'vi see us coming to save them, we will have their trust.''

''The universe must be playing a cruel joke then, if we must construct our battle plans around them.'' the Autarch said.

''Perhaps not as cruel as you think.''

* * *

**Imperial strike force**

Marber sat with Parker again in Grey-Five. Parker's squad was joined by three newcomers from the earlier cave mission after the Colonel finally deiced to add more members to his group. There was a tall man called Blaine with a red bandanna and a pair of large scars across his face. Cruz was a replacement flamer man with deeply tanned skin, a large nose and a rather emotionless look.

Finally there was Reston, the group's new demolitions expert. He was short, but heavily muscled, his finger where thick as sausages, but Marber was surprised at how swift they where when Reston disabled and reassembled his rifle in less than a minute in the pre-battle preparations. Flights of Valkyries where soaring over in the sky. A loud thrumming filled the bay of the assault carrier. Outside the rest of the Catachan 36th's Valkyries where moving in a standard low-altitude formation with the Valkyries and Vultures gunships of the Elysian 112th above them.

All of these Guardsmen, perhaps two thousand in total, where dispatched over to where the patch of forest where the xenos home base was expected. They would effectively be the first on the scene. A deeper thrumming filled the cockpit and Marber identified it as the sound of an Astartes Thunderhawk, something that he recognized from his days in the Ordo Xenos while working with the Deathwatch.

Hopefully with such an overwhelming display of force, only the aerial troops and the Astartes would be needed. The ground forces would simply be part of the mopping up effort and to secure the hometree.

What secrets would the hometree contain? He thought. What secrets could he obtain from the Na'vi chieftains and spiritual leaders? He had learnt things from the main planetary intelligence, but not as much as he would have liked. It he could capture them and get their knowledge then he could finally finalize where the main intelligence was centered strongest on Pandora. And after that it was only a matter of time before the Inquisition reached it.

Below, coming through the undergrowth, where the vehicles and infantry of the Catachans 36th under Major Totsuka and Catachan 206th under Colonel Myers where advancing as well. Chimeras and Hellhounds equipped with dozer blades and specially-fitted buzzaws cut their way through eleven square miles of jungle, infantry platoons advanced at a steady pace next to the armor, on alert for any Hammerhead ambushes.

Something sounded in the cockpit of the Valkyie as Marber activated his vox-link in his collar.

''Target sighted sir.'' the voice of the pilot came.

''Excellent.'' Marber switched frequencies to the Elysian command Vendetta.

''Raes what is the situation?'' he asked.

''We've got Banshees in the air, the Na'vi have spotted us, as expected, however out thunderbolt and Vulture escorts are dealing with that in a timely manner.'' Raes stated.

''And the target site?''

''It's coming up, we've located the LZ just north of it, however it's going to be a hot landing.'' Raes answered.

''We'll handle that when it comes.'' Marber responded. The landing bay of the Valkyie flare with the strong lights as the landing protocols where engaged. Parker got up and began to issue orders.

The Catachans and the Inquisitor quickly grabbed ahold of their rappel lines, make sure that their rebreathers were on correctly, and then positioned themselves at the landing bay doors as they slid open.

''Let's go!'' Parker shouted as he slid first down the rappel into the green field below.

* * *

Colonel Landers watched from the cockpit of his command Valkyries as the members of the 36th and the 112th Elysian rappelled down into the green field below in their hundreds from thin black lines. The xenos base was a seemingly huge tree cleverly disguised in the edge of a large jungle. Of course one had to look close as considering that all the trees where humongous, but the point was still there.

A short green field boarded the jungle and a shallow river. Various rocks and fauna grew as the stream headed down. Effectively only the northern banks where useful enough for the LZ. It was almost beautiful, he contemplated, with the various blue-green tress rising up tall next to the scintillating crystal clear river and the elegant fauna and green fields. It would probably be stained with blood soon.

Pity.

The Na'vi had heard them coming, of course, with the size and power of the Imperial attack it was hard not to notice them. But whether they expected them or not, it hardly mattered at the moment. Landers had three regiments of Guard and a company of Astartes on his side, plus air support from the Imperial Navy. The natives had several thousand warriors with bows and arrows. It wasn't even a contest.

A storm of arrows erupted from the jungle overhead as the guardsmen landed in their hundreds. Dozens of Guardsmen where cut down as they landed, vulnerable as they rappelled down. But they soon recovered and spread out, las-fire whipping back into the forest as entire platoons of Elysians and Catachans moved up and began to pour fire into the jungle as they did so.

Flamers shrieked as teams of Guardsmen brought them up, the edges of the forest being rapidly lit on fire by the intense promethium that was being spewed rapidly from the various flamers.

''Alright, let's get up and add out support.'' Landers commanded, sipping back a cup of recaf as he leaned over the head of the pilot to stare out of the cockpit at the jungle before him.

Nearby green-armored figures dropped from a trio of Thunderhawks, great transports lowered down about twenty meters from the floor. The Raptors quickly landed without trouble and began to spread out, adding their own fire. There where almost seventy of the Astartes coming down.

The presence of the marines added resolve to the Catachans and the Elysians who moved out downstream towards the river, spreading out as they did so, some of them heading into the non-flaming parts of the jungle copses. Meanwhile the remaining Valkyries and Vultures of the Guard forces headed up and opened fire with banks of hellstrike missiles and heavy bolter shells into the jungle before them.

Leaves and tree limbs where blown off as several tress where felled away. Abruptly, the arrow storms that where plaguing the Guardsmen began to slacken from their normal pace. Ahead, Landers saw Captain Myles company heading out in the front, their platoons leapfrogging towards the trees with one platoon covering the other with weapons in case of an ambush.

In this case it proved to be prophetic as the edges of the forest came alight with an arrow storm once more. Here flamers could not be used so carelessly is the Guard did not wish to burn town the trees surrounding the Na'vi base, nor could the Valkiyes help the Guard here. The Catachans and the Elysians had already rappelled down with heavy weapons. Frag Missiles and heavy bolters answered back, targeting the sources of the arrow storms as the 36th and the 112th pressed on.

A rumbling filled the air as hundreds of Direhorses appeared in the undergrowth, coming around to catch the Guard and Raptors in a pincer movement, their riders fired off arrows as they did so. Meanwhile groups of Na'vi warriors came in from the jungle, advancing under the arrow storm. Many of them fell, blown apart by las-fire or heavy bolter rounds, but when under attack from two directions the Guard momentarily faltered.

The Raptors took up the flanks, waves of bolter fire cutting down rank after rank of Direhorse-riding Na'vi as the commander son the ground desperately tried to shuffle about to meet the next attack.

But the Na'vi was hit on both flanks, despite casualties the Na'vi had succeeded in closing in under their arrows storms and with the help of the jungle.

* * *

Tarmek's bolter clicked empty as the Na'vi drew closer. There was not enough time to properly reload, so he drew his power sword and activated the hilt, causing the blade to be wreathed in a blue energy field. His brothers copied his actions.

''Now!'' several grenades where hurled into the air, and Na'vi bodies were blown high in the sky, emerging from the smoke and devastation was a riderless Direhorse who bolted at the sight of the Raptors.

Behind it came several Direhorses, one charged at Tarmek, cleaver aimed at his head, but he ducked the blade and dove sideways from the Direhorse's flailing hooves and cut upwards with his blade. The power sword cut the Na'vi in halt at the torso, and the xenos warrior's upper half slid to the ground as it's riderless steed bolted in terror, behind it two more headed for Tarmek.

The Raptors sergeant bellowed praise to the Emperor as he rammed his blade through the skull of a Direhorse as a spear glanced off his shoulder guard. Then he yanked out the sword and lashed out with it at the spear-rider, cutting off the hand of the xenos. Blood spurted from the stump as Tarmek pressed on with a second strike, gutting the Na'vi warrior. The other xenos rider, the one with the dead Direhorse, reared with pain at the sudden loss of his connection.

A backhand to the gut sent the xenos warriors sprawling to the ground as he snapped it's neck with a single stomp. Around him his squad-brothers where fighting back, disemboweling and cutting off limbs with their combat knives, although not as effectively.

Captain Thraxos was death as he flew through the air, lighting claws extended as he cut through Na'vi after Na'vi with terrifying ease. Sergeant Usen's assault marines followed him, chainswords roaring. But even he, and the rest of his brothers were caught wrong-footed by the sheer ferocity of the Na'vi assault. They where inferior in arms, armor and training, but the Na'vi attacked with a fierce resolve.

The first casualty occurred when Brother Masus was stabbed in the throat with three spears and pulled down by the Na'vi, two other battle brothers fell as the Na'vi pressed on their attack despite the horrendous casualties they suffered. But it was all in vain, although they where hacking down dozens of Guardsmen in close combat, the Catachans and Elysians were inflicting far too many casualties for the Na'vi to take.

Marber led Parker's squad through the fighting, his blade flashing as he opened fire with his hellpistol again and again. Parker's team opened fire with their hellguns and flamer. Behind them the bulk of Torenson's company moved up. Over two hundred Elysians and Catachans headed through the gap in the Na'vi attacks as the xenos offensive finally petered out. On the Marine flank the Raptors grimly cut through Na'vi after Na'vi.

From the skies, emerged hundreds of Banshees and the form of a great Toruk. The escorting Thunderbolts and Vultures quickly turned around and moved up to meet them as they came down, but Na'vi had the advantage of numbers. But the Imperials were winning. Quickly the Elysians and the Catachans reached the base of the hometree as the arrow storms slackened, the Na'vi were finally committing all of their warriors to meet the Imperial assault.

* * *

Out from the edges of the forest Major Totsuka watched from the observation hatch of his Chimeras as the armored column of the 36th and the 206th finally cleared the forest, dozens of Chimeras followed by hundreds of Catachans made it up. Hellhounds and Banewolves outfitted with dozer blades and buzzsaws headed the convoy, the chemical cannons of the Banewolves turning whatever that was in front of them into biological soup.

So far the Guard where making excellent progress, Totsuka reflected. There had been little to no attacks by native animals so far, probably because the Na'vi where distracted themselves.

He gave out orders into his commn bead for his troops to move up and prepare to cross the river and move in for the assault on the hometree itself. From what he could see the troops where embattles on the far bank. Their help would probably not be needed, but whatever ended the battle quickly was welcomed anyway. In any case the Chimeras could cross the stream with ease, he reflected.

Across the various vox-channels Colonel Myers 206th and his own battalion moved out, like a great metal snake striking as the Catachans moved out to cross the river and engage the enemy.

They did not notice the edges of the battlefield the forms of grav-tanks emerged from the jungle.


	7. Chapter 7

This is Chapter 7. Many thanks to iyaerP for editing this chapter. It was most helpful. Here we have the Imperial penetrate deeper into the Na'vi tree while the Eldar finally arive, next chapter will have alot of Eldar action. I'm sorry this took so long but other things are happening in my life that delay chapters as well as planning for other stories.

**Invasion of Pandora**

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Marber's Catachans ran through the brush, lasguns spitting red bolts on full auto as their forward grenade teams sent shrapnel from frag grenades arcing over the foliage into the Na'vi warriors. Bits of metal scythed through the ranks of the aliens, who appeared to be withdrawing in the face of the Imperial assault. It was to be expected of course, thought Marber as he came up.

Nearby Captain Torenson shouted orders into his vox-bead as the Catachans moved forward. Standing among the guardsmen were the hulking forms of the Raptors Astartes, great beings who strode forward, bolter fire punching alien forms back. Arrows came whistling back at them, fired from blue beings hunched in the blue-green grass that shrouded the cavernous mouth that formed the main entrance of the hometree. For such large creatures they blended surprisingly well.

Then there was a shout as something big came out of the undergrowth and pounced on several Catachans who where up ahead. It was another Thanator, its fangs stained red with blood. Two more emerged from behind it, quickly followed by a dozen of smaller creatures, the forms of the bounding viperwolves came behind, fierce eyes wide and staring as they charged the Guardsmen.

''Shit! Kill them!'' someone roared over the vox-link.

The animals of Pandora came in a wave of flesh, bounding forward with incredible agility and grace. Ruby red bolts cut many of them down, but they were closing despite the casualties. Two of the great Thanators were cut down by the volleys of las-fire, but eight more pressed in, tearing apart Catachans by the squad. A flamer was fired point blank, bathing a Thanator in fire.

Blazing, the beast took a swipe at the flamer man, ripping his head off before pain-maddened, the predator charged off deeper into the Catachan ranks to expend the last of it's energies in a rampage. Torenson fired his bolt pistol, blowing huge fleshy chunks out of the Thanator as it charged until a well-placed las-shot into the eye by one of his aides sent the beast crashing to the ground.

Catachans with grenade launchers hurriedly exchanged their payload for krak grenades. The anti-armor rounds hurled through the air with a dull thumping sound and

one of them landed near a Thanator. There was eardrum-bursting explosion and when the fire and smoke cleared, the Thanator was missing its' hind legs, screeching in pain and writhing on the ground until the Guardsmen shot it over and over again to put it down.

From the skies Astartes assault marines came, the leader, a marine with a beaked, bird-skull mask and a pair of shimmering lighting claws, sidestepped the charge of a Thanator within moments of his touching down. The great hunting beast roared and lunged forward, two-foot long fangs gleaming in its massive mouth. Captain Thraxos then drove his lighting claws through the skull of the Thanator, the power-field sheathed weapons slicing through alien flesh and bone like butter.

The creature dropped dead to the ground as two more rushed the assault marines, terrible wounds being torn in their bodies, but despite that they continued in, desperate to kill the marines. One of them tackled an assault marine to the ground, and xeno claws carved deep grooves into the ceramite chest plate of the marine's armor as he fought desperately to throw off the Thanator.

The second bowled another marine over before a Raptors sergeant stabbed it in the side, driving his power sword deep into the ribs of the creature, skewering several vital organs. The Thanator writhed, one massive paw puncturing the weaker abdominal armor of a Raptor before it expired and the sergeant withdrew his blade. The last Thanator, covered with the blood of the various Catachans, leapt at Marber, gore-filled maw stretched out. Marber extended a palm and blew the alien beast back with a massive burst of telekinetic force.

The Thanator spun through the air, the sheer power of the blast hurling it a good fifteen feet. It landed on its back hard, with a snarl. Before it could move though, Thraxos came swooping down, his jump pack leaving flaming contrails as he drove one lightning claw through the chest of the alien predator, impaling the beast's heart, killing it instantly. The Astartes captain withdrew his lightning claws and got up, flicking away the blood. A pair of viperwolves leapt at him, but the Raptors captain lashed out, cutting them apart in midair.

The viperwolves continued to attack, but without the Thanators they where unable to press on their attack. They continued to snarl at and harry the Catachans squads like rabid mastiffs, but the Imperial numbers were telling From the foliage dozens upon dozens of carapace armored Elysians came out, firing their distinctive bullpup lasguns into the viperwolves as several Guardsmen switched back again to frag grenades.

From the other end of the Imperial flank almost thirty Astartes came in, bolters slung as the Raptors used combat knives and bolt pistols to dispatch the viperwolves, while Captain Thraxos cut them apart with his lighting claws.

''The whole damned planet is fighting us.'' remarked Thraxos as he landed next to Marber, who blew away more viperwolves with his hellpistol.

''Yes, that's the planetary intelligence for you.'' Marber replied.

'The way should be clear,'' Torenson noted as the Elysians regrouped with the Catachans, although the sounds of battle rang out all around them, there was a brief lull in the assault as the Imperials began to regroup

Hastily, the Elysian leader, a captain named Sykes reported to Marber. He had almost a hundred men with him. Combined with Torenson's advance platoon that was almost four hundred guardsmen and thirty Astartes.

It seemed like enough to take the hometree.

''I suggest that my brothers spearhead the assault in case of ambush. Without your flamers, your effectiveness in close quarters will be compromised.'' Thraxos told Torenson.

It was rather galling that his regiment was unable to spearhead the assault straight into the heart of the enemy base, Torenson reflected, but he saw the wisdom in the marine's words.

''Very well then.'' Torenson shrugged.

''I'll be in the first wave if you don't mind.'' Marber said, Parker's form moving up out of the foliage. Marber turned around.

''I thought I lost you, where's the rest of the squad?'' he asked.

As if on queue the rest of Torenson's group appeared out of the tall grasses. Marber gave them a quick look, the team was at full strength.

''We don't die so easily,'' Parker shrugged. ''What's this about a spearhead?''

* * *

**The Na'vi**

Vas'tey watched from the higher branches of the Omaticaya hometree as the mon-keigh warriors entered the heart of the Omaticaya clan, their weapons blazing lighting and fire as they did so. There where the hulking green ones, who towered over the rest, who fired red weapons into the warriors who rose from their concealment on the higher branches and led lose arrows into the enemy.

The internal space of the Na'vi hometree was a confusing web of branches and naturally formed stairs that led deep into the immense, town-sized tree. The Na'vi navigated these things easily, but the sky people did not.

''Now.'' Tel'rek shouted as the warriors of the Omaticaya fled back up the branches. After a moment hesitation, the sky people followed, several of the green-armored ones flying up on wings of fire to close in with the retreating warriors.

Tel'rek's plan was a rather ingenious one, Vas'tey reflected, it was to lure the clumsy sky people into the depths of the hometree, where the Na'vi would be able to outmaneuver and destroy them in a place that did not favor their firepower. It had seemed like a plausible idea when it was first introduced as the sky people's flying beasts where first spotted on the horizon. The very young and the very old where already evacuated into the deepest parts of the forest of the sky people came.

However the large-green armored warriors and the sky warriors with strange powers was proving to be a thorn in the side of the ambushers, the green-armored warrior's metal skin deflecting all arrows sent against them, while their screaming weapons tore apart the warriors with ease.

''You are having trouble here.'' Vas'tey remarked to Tel'rek.

''Really? I did not notice.'' the other warrior sarcastically replied.

''What do you plan to do?'' a new voice interjected.

Vas'tey turned around to see Risti come up. Her face was old, and lined, she was the tsahik, or spiritual leader of the Omaticaya, and the mate of Kel'val, the clan leader of the Omaticaya.

''I thought you would leave, in case the worst happens?'' Vas'tey asked her.

''I will stay and fight for my home, I refuse to run.'' she replied.

''Can you do that? Even when the worst is already happening?'' Vas'tey asked.

''We can triumph, I trust in Kel'val and Tel'rek.'' Risti looked down distantly at the sky people, she carried a ceremonial bow with her.

''I suppose you have a plan to turn this around?'' Vas'tey asked Tel'rek.

''Of course,'' Tel'rek let lose another arrow. ''We move in deeper?'' he explained.

''Really? Is that your plan?'' Vas'tey raised an eyebrow.

''We must split up the large green ones and the other sky people! Then we have a chance to destroy them in pieces.'' Tel'rek snapped.

Vas'tey considered it, it just might work, if they played there cards right.

''Sure, let's do it.''

* * *

**The Imperials**

Thraxos's jump pack ignited as he rose to another level, his lightning claws flicking with energy to a group of four Na'vi who where firing arrows at the climbing Guardsmen below. He landed with a thud, his claws lashing out, severing the arm of the nearest xenos warrior. The limb fell away in a shower of blood as his next strike impaled the xenos warrior through the head.

The xenos corpse toppled to the floor, landing next to the waiting Elysians. He dove forward, as the other reacted to his presence. Thraxos lunged forward, his blades beheading another with ease. One raised a knife to block his next strike, it was a fruitless move as the powered claws of his gauntlets cut off the xenos's hand with ease. The alien warrior shrieked and stumbled back as the other tried to attack Thraxos from the side.

A sideswipe with his left claw almost causally disemboweled the Na'vi warrior as Thraxos thrust upward with his right claw, impaling the last xenos warrior through the heart, killing it. Three more Raptors assault marines flew up to land among a group of Na'vi warriors, clubs and spears rebounded off of power armor of the Astartes, while bolt pistols blew back Na'vi.

The roar of chainswords filled the air as the Raptors hacked away limbs and disabled Na'vi with brutal force, rapidly, the xenos warriors fled deeper into the tree, even as bolt pistol shots dropped them. Vines burst forth from the wall whipping out to grasp the assault marines and bring them closer the Astartes held fast, swinging their chainsword and chopping aside fines, severing them.

The plants on the wall of the tree writhed, as if in pain. Thraxos, flew up, his claws extended, cutting away vines with blazing swiped of his gauntlets, forcing back the Na'vi tree.

''What is that?'' one of his brothers asked.

''I don't know.'' Thraxos glanced around.

''It does not appear to be widespread through.'' He remarked.

''It hardly matters, press on and link up with our brothers.'' Thraxos ordered.

Below, Marber shot a Na'vi in the head as the rest of the xenos warriors turned and ran deeper into the innards of the hometree. Marber urged Parker to follow him along with an Elysian lieutenant.

''All friendless, move out and secure the area.'' Torenson voxed. Things where looking good, the Na'vi where fleeing and more and more guardsmen where entering the hometree, it was only a matter of time before an Imperial victory.

Torenson himself led dozens of Catachans through a confusing maze of branches and corridors, a Raptors combat squad following him to provide support to the Catachan formation. Soon, they entered a large, seemingly hollowed out area, intertwined with what seemed like blue moss on the sides of the walls. Na'vi warriors appeared from above, firing arrows into Torenson's group.

Spear-sized arrows took out four Guardsmen next to Torenson, the Captain could not spare a glance at them as he cursed and dove to the side, opening fire with his bolt pistol. His first shot pitched a Na'vi archer off his branch, his second missed, but his third tore off an arm of a Na'vi hiding behind a large branch. Two more shot finished the xenos warrior off.

A trio of grenade launcher armed Guard loaded their weapons and fired their payloads directly into the braches above, carefully judging the trajectory of each grenade so as to not be hit by their own grenades. Each of the frag grenades exploded, sending a nimbus of steel death into the Na'vi above, killing several and wounding many more. Others fired their lasguns in increasing vollies, driving the Na'vi back.

The Raptors joined in too, their bolters, blowing away Na'vi even through the various branches and leaves they tried to camouflage themselves with. One was armed with a plasma gun ans using it to deadly suddenly, something writhed above, a massive moss and vine covered fist-shaped thing came down and smashed a Raptor to the ground, crushing the Astartes under its immense strength.

''Shit! What the hell is that?'' Torenson explained.

He whirled around as an arrows sailed past him, inches from piercing his skin with its deadly poison. One of his Guardsmen shot the Na'vi who did it, but he was too fixated on the newcomer. The thing that attacked was a massive arm-like tentacle that seemed to grow right out of the ceiling. It rose ponderously from the ground, bits of power armor and gore falling from its underside where it killed the Astartes.

He lashed about, sending five Catachans and another Astartes flying. Its backlash came as Torenson who leapt back, chainsword roaring as the tip raced forth to impale the Captain in the chest. The motorized blade cut though the tip of the tentacle, sending it flying off. The thing did not seem to notice it, as its backlash sent Torenson flying across to hit he wall hard. He saw stars.

The Raptors and the Catachans switched their attention away from the Na'vi and to focus on this new foe. Bolters and lasguns fired at the writhing tentacle, blowing bits off it, but doing no real damage. That was until the plasma gun Astartes opened fire, sending the front section of the vine tentacle aflame and practically blowing it in half. The thing writhed madly, hitting more Guardsmen.

The second shot finished it off, the flaming stump retreating back up in the ceiling. As it did so, more Na'vi appeared, leaping out to surround the Catachans and the Raptors who where still reeling from the surprise attack. One of Torenson's aides shot a Na'vi point blank in the throat, blowing open it's chest with a tri of lasbolts. He died seconds later as another Na'vi leapt in and crushed his skull with a massive club.

The Na'vi and the Catachans where immediately embroiled into close combat, knives, clubs, bayonets and rifle butts all featured as the Na'vi closed in to deny the Imperials their firepower. The Raptors fought, but there where only three of them and they where quickly being swamped. They laid about with point blank bolter fire and combat knives, but they where in danger of being overwhelmed.

A Na'vi landed next to Torenson's groaning body. It hissed and raised its spear to impale the Catachan. Torenson got his bolt pistol and fired it just in time, blowing a fist-sized hole in the warrior's chest, toppling it back.

He got up, his head spinning, and his chest protesting, but he stood tall.

''For the Emperor!'' he raised his chainsword with all his strength and dove back into the fray.

* * *

**Marber**

Marber ran through the wooden hallways of the xenos tree structure. He could practically feel the soul vibration of the warp through the tree itself. It was like a presence was in the floor itself. This was extremely interesting. He thought. Was this some sort of xenos burial link to the planetary intelligence? Or something else, like some sort of grand repository of psychic memory? The Inquisition would have a field day studying it. Marber himself could not wait to unlock the secrets that these place must surely contain.

Whatever it was, it did not matter. The Inquisitor reached out with his mind and threw back a trio of Na'vi warriors who were perched high on an overhanging tree branch. As they hit the ground the Catachans around him riddled the corpses with lasgun fire. Climbing from the lower levels by the stair-like branches was difficult. But once the Catachans reached the upper levels they began to make easier progress into the deeper recesses of the xenos tree.

They were coming into a wider corridor, in the distance Marber could see the entrance boarding out like the mouth of some sort of carnivorous beast into the sunlight outside. It was some sort of large balcony. Above were dozens of twisting branches that ran to the ceiling of the hallway. Na'vi warriors fired arrows from the, killing several Catachans. The immense, spear-sized projectiles pinned the guardsmen to the ground like insects impaled by some cruel child.

Lasfire lashed upwards, felling several of the huge blue aliens. The now-familiar smell of burnt flesh reached Marber's nose as he looked up. Someone fired a flamer, sending a cone of fire upwards. It was too small to properly reach the ceiling, so Marber reached out with his mind. Mentally he sent tendrils of warp energy to coil invisibly around several of the massive tree branches above.

With a sharp tug of his mind he tore the ceiling tree-branches down. With a mighty groan several of the huge hanging branches were torn away from the cling in a cloud of dust and various roots; The branches hit the ground with an earth shaking thud. Marber threw them as far away from the Guardsmen as he could. Dozens of Na'vi bodies fell along with the branches, the aliens shocked at the lost of their support.

But to their credit they landed mostly on their feet. Vast clouds of dust filled the hallway as many of the blue-skinned xenos were cut down by the Catachans lasfire. Promethium billowed through the smoke, now the flamer men could reach the xenos. Marber reached out with his mind, blowing away the vast clouds of smoke. As he did so he saw several Na'vi run out of a crack in the wall. A hidden passageway, he realized with a shock.

The first was on him, club and knife swinging. Marber brought up his blade, cutting through the wrist of the alien before firing his hellpistol, blowing its brains out. The second one leapt back as he brought his force sword around. The Na'vi where coming down from the sides. While Marber's earlier actions with the branches had killed dozens of Na'vi and allowed the Catachans to flame the survivors, the dust clouds left the Catachans open to a flank attack.

Parker switched his hellgun to full auto, blazing away at the Na'vi point blank. Beside him, Mercen and Dorvacs did the same as Parker's squad and the rest of the Catachans were quickly getting caught in mêlée. Marber dove to the side as a Na'vi rushed at him, he fired his hellpistol several times, blowing the xenos warrior back. Nearby three more rushed Mercen, Parker and Dorvacs, only to be cut down.

Then one appeared out of the remaining dust clouds and brought it's club around, catching Mercen's arm n the shoulder with a sickening crack. With a hiss it shoulder charged Dorvacs, throwing him to the side. Parker's last ammunition cell for his hellgun died as the Sergeant was left only with his pistol and combat knife. He had barely time to draw his knife when the Na'vi warrior was upon him.

He brought the knife up to block a club heading to his way. He took the blow, but his arms jarred from the impact. The sergeant mentally swore he heard something creak in his arms. He fell back more, his limbs feeling like they were on fire as the Na'vi lunged in for the kill. But it tripped midway as Dorvacs rammed his own Catachan Fang hilt deep into the right leg of the xenos warrior.

The Na'vi screamed in pain, its concentration broken momentarily. Parker did not waste the opportunity as the Na'vi was caught off guard. He lunged forward and brought his combat knife arcing around. The point of the knife buried itself in the thick neck of the blue-skinned xenos. Parker thrust the knife in deeper, severing the jugular in a rapid spurt of crimson. The Na'vi shuddered and died.

Nearby Marber senses something. It was a Na'vi presence, but different from the usual tone that Marber knew. Usually the Na'vi presented themselves to Marber's warp-sight as wild, oily things, far different from normal humans.

But this one….

This one was potent in ways that the other Na'vi lacked. It contained an aura of self-assurance and holiness that the other Na'vi did not have. Whereas the other where hunters and warriors, this one was a priest of some sort. He stumbled up ahead through the smoke. All around him the Na'vi fought with the Catachans. The Guard where slowly being cornered by the Na'vi ambush, even with Marber's help.

But in the Inquisitor's distraction, he did not notice the Guard being forced back slowly,. He continued to stumble forward as Parker groggily got up. He looked around as Dorvacs checked on Mercen.

''What is he doing?'' Parker said to himself as he shot a nearby Na'vi.

Behind the hallway came a flaring noise. Thraxos led his assault squad deep into the hallways, chainswords revving as they did so. Immediately they threw themselves into the close combat, reinforcing the guard. Slowly, but surely the Na'vi began to be beaten back by the Astartes close combat specialists. Thraxos was at the head of the charge, his lighting claws cutting down xenos warriors.

Up ahead Marber spotted his target. It was a tall, blue-skinned female, if Marber had judged its gender correctly. It wore some sort of dress decorated with a rainbow's worth of blowers and colored beads. It carried a long-handled knife and an ornate looking bow. It was bleeding lightly from its head. As Marber got closer and closer he felt the faintest tingling of pain coming from the xenos.

Risti looked at the strange sky person in front of her. Her head heart when she felt the strange power bring down the above branches. That was something that she did not expect. She had landed on her feet, but a piece of rock had glanced off her head. It rang with pain. As she recovered she saw Vas'tey's warriors intercede into the battle and outflank the sky people.

The hallway was filled with Chaos as the sky person approached her. She raised her bow to fire at him, but he waved a hand and the weapon went flying. He ran towards her as she reeled in shock. The balcony, she had to escape the balcony. She felt something different about this invader. She must not get close with him. She ran, bounding to the balcony, her legs pumping as Marber came after her.

The Inquisitor frowned. She could not be allowed to escape. This was one who communicated with the alien planet-intelligence. That meant she was more valuable that any else here. She was outpacing him, her different constitution and headstart meant he was going to be outpaced soon. This could not be allowed. Blood ran down his left nostril as he reached out with his mind again.

Risti was suddenly seized, as if by some invisible force, and hurled off her feet. It was like a giant hand closing around her, constricting her limbs completely. She suddenly hit the ground hard. The balcony was a wide, massive thing. It was as wide as some landing pads Marber had seen at Imperial bases and it curved downwards out of the tree like some massive snake coiling..

Marber stumbled forward, catching his breath. He had to be careful with his powers, or else the daemonic would take his mind. He wiped away a trail of blood and continued onwards. Risti tried to get back up, every bone in her body aching at the sudden mysterious power that the Inquisitor had unleashed. But the Inquisitor's blade pierced her in the shoulder as Marber suddenly lunged forward.

The blade sank through as Marber extended out with his will, binding the rest of her limbs as he did so. Risti struggled, yellow eyes wide as she glared at the strange human who knelt beside her. Marber huffed with exhaustion. This is it. He thought, He reached forward and grabbed her forward, focusing his will into a psychic spike. He drove it inwards, tearing at her mind for what he wanted.

Risti screamed, both mentally and physically. Marber felt her soul's untapped warp powers writhe as he drove forward, both of there minds grinding against one another as Marber was thrust into her soul.

_..He saw her as a young one_

_…he saw her make her first kill, then consecrate the body for Ewya_

_… he saw her succeed the previous tsahik_

_…he saw her meet with Kel'val, her mate. He watched as they fell in love._

_…… he saw Ewya….._

With a sudden flash he broke out of her mindscape. Abruptly Marber was shoved back into the physical world. He was stunned for a moment, like a man who was suddenly submerged in water. He staggered to his feet, a fierce headache beginning to develop. But he knew what he needed to know. He knew the secrets of Ewya. He knew were the main planetary intelligence was.

Risti's body was on the ground. She was dead of a heart attack, the whole psychic attempt had been far too much for her to bear fully and she died as Marber ripped apart her mind in search of her god. Marber looked around. The battle was still raging behind him, but with the help of the Astartes the Catachans appeared to have the whole situation back there under control. He began to limp back.

Something roared and Marber whirled around. Descending from a sky was an immense winged shape. The being that was flying down was like some sort of enormous red dragon.

A Greater Banshee, Marber realized. And its rider did not look happy.

* * *

**Outside the Hometree**

Outside Major Totsuka watched as the Chimeras moved across the river. Ripples of water formed from their tracks as they made to join him on the other side of the river where the Na'vi tree was. The forms of Hellhounds and Banewolves were moving up to engage what was left of the Na'vi forces. The chimeras were moving up to begin troop deployment. Soon the hometree would be secured.

It was a pity they did not have any Hydras for the mission, Totsuka mused as he watched the forms of the Banshees and Valkriyes fight above. The Imperials where clearly winning the aerial battle.

But it hardly mattered, the Imperium had more than enough troops and technology to win and Hydras would be mostly useless here anyway. Totsuka had little worries about a victory.

''Major! Look!'' a crewman shouted from another chimera. Totsuka turned around to see dozens of huge, graceful vehicles emerge from the trees, grass and fauna bending under their anti-grav generators.

Eldar! He was shocked, what the hell were Eldar doing on this world? He dropped back down into the hatch, activated the vehicle's vox as he did so. Quickly he went to the command frequency.

''This is Alpha Ground, we have Eldar on our six.'' he shouted. Moments later Landers voice came back.

''Eldar? Can you confirm Alpha Groun- never mind, I see them.''

Eldar tanks quickly moved across the clearing, laser mounted weapons and aliens missiles turning a dozen Chimeras into scrap metal. Tall walker with gracefully curved legs stalked forward, blasting away. Totsuka cursed, most of the Imperial weapons were too short ranged to deal with the Eldar. Only the Chimeras could respond, and they had insufficient firepower to take out the main Eldar tanks.

The Imperials came come here to fight a war against lightly-armored guerillas, not an armored Eldar strikeforce. They were truly caught out of their element here. It was not appearing to be go well at all.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes. I am sorry for this long chapter, but things have been changing for me in my personal life. Recently I have decided to take a new direction with the story you will see soon.**

**Also I have a new story out, called **_**All is Dust**_**, it's based on the pre-heresy Thousand Sons. It would be cool if you guys could look at it.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**The Hometree**

Marber looked up in shock and fear at the Greater Banshee, the vast, aerial best flapped its wings, its rider glaring at him with a very human expression of hatred, thoughts rose unbidden to his mind.

_Mate._

This was the mate of the Na'vi he killed. Obviously this leader was not happy at all to see her dead. With a hiss of hatred the Na'vi chieftain dove towards the Inquisitor who leapt to the side. He barely did it in time, the monstrous claws of the beast slashing a wound in his leg, he cried out in pain. He could not focus his powers after the exhausting search on the Na'vi's mind.

The Greater Banshee whirled around, beak and claws readying for the kill, the chieftain raising his spear, when something huge and moss-green slammed into the side of the xenos creature. Blood flew into the air as Captain Thraxos of the Raptors withdrew his lightning-wreathed claws from the side of the Banshee-creature. The Na'vi chieftain whipped his spear around, striking the head of the Captain with inhuman strength, damaging the helm.

The Greater Banshee lashed out with its claws, the monstrously sharp wing talons tearing a large wound in the captain's chestplate. Thraxos snarled and lashed out with his claws, slicing off a wing. Blood spurted from the stump as the Banshee screamed. It had never been hurt like this. As the alpha predator on Pandora, something like a severed limb was unimaginable to the beast.

The Na'vi rider too felt the beast's pain, white hot pain lancing up its real arm, ghost-feelings of a severed limb twisting his face in an expression of pain and utter shock.

Thraxos took the opportunity to ram his lighting claws up through the under jaw of the beast, driving the lightning wreathed talons into the soft throat flesh and right through the cranium and the brain inside.

The Greater Banshee toppled over, dead.

The rider cursed, in it's language, disconnecting its bond with the beast and leaping off, landing catlike an all fours, it hurled a spear at the Astartes captain, who was kicking his way free of the xenos' corpse. The spear got lucky, and took the captain in the knee joint, in an already weakened section of his armor. Thraxos grunted in pain, before yanking the spear out, his Larraman cells already coming in to close the wound.

Up close Thraxos tore off his damaged helm, exposing his alabaster pale features, the same features common to the Raven Guard, out into the world. The poisoned air of Pandora entered his body, but his multi-lung and enhanced body where already countering it.

He extended a single talon to the Na'vi chieftain.

''Well come on then.'' He said.

The chieftain was tall, taller than the captain, wearing a loincloth and a short cape of woven leaves. A crown of colored beads covered his head and his yellow eyes blazed with pain and anger. He drew a massive, two-handed knife and rushed the Raptors captain, the blade aiming right for the Captain's throat. But Thraxos's blocked the strike with his lightning claw, the powered blades slicing off the knife handle at the hilt.

But the chieftain did not give pause, ramming its hand into the Captain's face in a palm strike, breaking the astartes's nose and snapping his body back to the ground, the massive Na'vi leapt on top of Thraxos and raised its hands. It grabbed another short-handed knife from its shoulder bandolier and prepare to thrust down, but Thraxos's body twisted to the side and the knife only nicked his cheek. One brawny arm lashed the Na'vi away.

The chieftain rolled up, tail whipping around ad Thraxos recovered. The chief squared into a fighting stance, but Thraxos leapt with a sudden agility, the chief made to leap away, the Thraxos gunned his jump pack. The burst was short, hardly enough for true flight, but it propelled the Raptor Captain a sudden extra foot, throwing off the chief's judgment. He slammed into the Na'vi with a sickening crunch.

Four lighting-wreathed blades erupted from the Na'vi chieftain's back. The leader's yellow eyes open with shock as Thraxos raised the other set of claws and beheaded him with one strike, brutally slicing off the top of the xenos's head.

Thraxos let the bloodied corpse fall from his hands.

The Raptor captain turned around, sucking in a deep breath. The weapons of the Na'vi chieftain were coated with xenos poisons, but the Astartes body of the Captain was already dealing with them.

But they were slowing him down. He turned to Marber.

Marber got up, head swimming with pain. The cut in his side throbbed deeply and he wiped his hand away He staggered to his feet, coughing up some blood that clogged his rebreather a bit.

He felt horrible.

He looked around, the remaining Na'vi warriors on the balcony were being finished off by the remaining Catachans and the Raptors. In the distance he saw the form of Captain Torenson come up from below, chainblade whirling with clogged Na'vi gore and moss.

''Did you get the information?'' Thraxos said, indicating the Na'vi seer's body with one talon.

Marber nodded slowly ''Yes but-'' he coughed up some more blood.

Thraxos then pointed outwards into the distance, Marber craned his head to observe the alien forms of grav-tanks coming across the jungle and river, engaging the Guard vehicles.

_Eldar_, he realized with a shock. But what were Eldar doing here?

''We are going to be outmatched.'' Thraxos said, eyes burning with hatred as he saw his battle brothers being cut off and overwhelmed by the surprise Eldar assault. Thraxos examined the battlefield with the keen eye of a veteran.

Marber watched as Torenson came over to them.

''The xenos-''' he began.

''-Are attacking.'' Marber coughed again.

''Did you get the information from the witch?'' Torenson asked.

''Yes, yes I did, but we need to get out of here.'' Marber knew this was a bad situation, part of him wondered why the hell the Eldar were on Pandora and somehow helping the Na'vi, but he dismissed that.

He had more important concerns.

Through the air, a Raptors Thunderhawk came through; other Thunderhawks were loading Raptors warriors off the field as they retreated. Dozens of Valkryies were already mimicking the Astartes actions.

The Imperial were beginning to pull out.

An Eldar grav tank suddenly skimmed over the trees. Marber's shocked eyes followed the gracefully alien construct as it opened fire upon the Astartes and Guardsmen lining the upper level of the hometree. Four Astartes were blown apart by a barrage of lasers. A spiraling missile came from another Eldar fighter than slammed into the hometree, killing several more Guardsmen. Together the Eldar fighters raked the place.

Marber felt the air rush out of his lungs as Thraxos tackled him to the ground. The next thing he knew he felt Astartes blood on him as he felt Thraxos move off of his body and roll over. His eyes widened in shock. Thraxos's arm and most of his back was a bloody ruin. The pale face of the Astartes Captain nodded weakly before he slumped back, dead by wounds not even an Astartes could handle.

Marber stared in shock at the heroic Astartes who had saved his life. He did not even notice the Raptors' Thunderhawks come down and blow the two Eldar tanks to pieces in a barrage of lascannon fire. The massive dropship came down, doors opening. A massive green form filled the corner of Marber's vision as a Raptor sssault marine hoisted the Inquisitor up and deposited him in the rear ramp of the Thunderhawk.

Several Valkryies and Thunderhawks landed on the side of the hometree doing their best to evacuate the Astartes and Guardsmen left on the hometree. Torenson roughly ran in the Thunderhawk, legs pounding. Others followed him. Then the doors slammed shut with a hiss and the thrusters of the Thunderhawk roared. Someone removed Marber's rebreather and replaced it with a new, non-clogged version. Darkness clouded Marber's vision.

* * *

**The Ground floor**

Major Totsuka stumbled out of the flaming wreck of his Chimera, limping hard from a piece of shrapnel in his leg. The pain lanced deeply into his mind, but he did not notice at all, his thoughts were on survival. His Chimera had taken an Eldar shot early on, from one of their walkers. He was the only survivor of his vehicle, his command squad annihilated by the cataclysmic explosion that had engulfed the vehicle.

His survival therefore had been a miracle.

Totsuka looked around. Dozens upon dozens of Eldar tanks moved across the field, supported by scores of walkers and hundreds of infantry moving up with support weapons in tow. More and more green-armored Eldar aspect warriors came out of the jungle, moving among Guardsmen to cut them down in close quarters. Lasguns and flamers dropped a few, but the Eldar closed the gap and began their bloody work.

The Catachans and the Elysians fought bravely, but in the end the carapace armor of the Eldar and their monomol chainsword proved to be superior. The Striking Scorpions cut though the entire east flank of the Guard. The Raptors held their ground, even as the Eldar tanks slew marine after marine and entire teams of Aspect Warriors were deployed from Wave Serpents or arrived from the webway.

Thirty Raptors died forming a rearguard for the Raptors Apothecary and a few surviving brothers to retreat aboard a Thunderhawk. They took down dozens of Aspect Warriors, but in the end they were all gunned down, or hacked to death by the blazing power swords of white-armored female Banshees shrieking with concentrated sonic screams.

Hundreds of Guardsmen died in the blazing firestorm from Eldar missiles, shuriken cannons and pulse lasers. Starcannons scythed down entire heavy weapon teams and Eldar support guns shot Chimera after Chimera to pieces Within less than a minute most of the Guard's armor had been taken out by this surprise attack, however some Hellhounds and Banewolves were moving, coming onward, despite terrible damage to land torrents of promethium and acid chemicals among the advancing Eldar Guardians.

Several dozen Eldar died before they were destroyed in massive, pyrotechnic explosions.

The Valkryies and the Thunderhawks lifted off in the distances, thrusters burning at full speed. The Na'vi flight-Banshees quickly dove out of the way of the Eldar grav-tanks that began to pursue those who where not quick enough into getting out.

Colonel Landers Valkyrie was shot down in the retreat.

Inside the hometree, units of Striking Scorpions and Howling Banshees entered, in the close quarters of the tree their combat skills proved supremely deadly to the last remaining Catachans who had not escaped.

Totsuka cried as a shuriken round severed his leg at the knee. The lower foot flopped away, cut neatly by a mirco-thin blade. Pain erupted his being, but he refused to cry out. Grass crunched in front of him, a strange sound that Totsuka heard over the screams of the dying and the Eldar weapons fire. He looked up to see a long thin barrel of an Eldar shuriken catapult held by a blue-armored warrior with a white helm.

The Dire Avenger gazed at him pitilessly for a few seconds.

Then he blew his head off.

Out of the two thousand Catachans and Elysians that made up the assault force, three hundred escaped on the Valkryies. The rest died to a man. The Eldar took no prisoners among the humans. Among the Raptors, thirty-five brothers died protecting the last fifteen brothers to escape aboard the Thunderhawks. Sergeant Tarmek was among the fallen, his body was surrounded by five dead Banshee Eldar.

The Eldar suffered a hundred and fifty dead, with many more wounded, most of them Guardians. The soul stones of the dead were removed quickly and the bodies of the Imperials burned and tossed in the river.

* * *

Vas'tey wandered around the battlefield, walking among the strange new saviors. The armored saviors did not pay much attention, spending more time on removing the dead of the battlefield than anything else. His heart cried with sorrow. Out of the Omaticaya and Raemacia clans, two thirds of them were dead or wounded. The sheer amount of casualties still shocked and numbed Vas'tey's mind.

He cried, the sheer loss overwhelming him. He had fought the sky people before, but there were not as many dead as this engagement. Eywa cried as the hometree was desecrated and broken, her people slaughtered in droves by the sky people. Risti was dead and so was the _Toruk Makto_. Hatred and sorrow mixed deeply within him as he let his tears loose. After several minutes of crying, the warrior recovered and gazed around at his new saviors.

They carried weapons vaguely similar to the sky people, and used weapons and vehicles similar to them, but where the sky people had brutal, clanking beasts of war these newcomers's vehicles looked elegant and…..organic.

For some reason seeing them pleased him.

There was a confusing variety of different warriors. Blue-armored ones, green-armored one with strange crests, shapely females ones in white armor, dark armored ones with fearsome skull masks, and winged ones. _They must be different clans_, Vas'tey decided. Clans of the saviors that had appeared in his dreams. At first he thought that it was simply a dream brought on by his own tired state, but now he could see it was so much more than that.

Something came down, a great, graceful vehicle that glided down. It settled in front of the stunned Na'vi warrior and the landing bay slid out, hitting the dirt below with a soft triumph.

''You.'' the Raemacia warrior said with a shocked gasp. He felt the presence of the voice in his dream.

The being was female, lithe and shapely, in an alien sort of fashion. She wore alabaster white armor with long flowing green robes, an ornate, antlered helmet. She was accompanied by a taller male warrior, in green and white battle plate, who carried a blazing sword. Behind her were five more green-robed warriors who carried ceremonial spears.

''Yes,'' Kylia agreed. ''It is I.''

* * *

**The Air Force**

The Raptors Thunderhawk and the Valkriyes continued north, to Base 15, one of the backup bases next to the main. They came high, traveling as far as they could any thoughts of combat gone.

The Eldar grav-tanks continued to pursue, their alien engines modified for the enhanced gravity of Pandora, their weapons fire blazed , taking out several of the human aerial transports.

Eventually Marber's Thunderhawk as hit by several starcannons three hundred meters from base 15, sending it plummeting to the ground.

Marber opened his eyes in pain, shouts and scream came all around him, something large was lifted off of him by a pair of huge, power armored gauntlet. He was hauled to his feet. Eventually he focused on the world around him. He saw fire, and broken metal. He saw a dead Raptor, a piece of shrapnel through the left eye socket of the Astartes warrior, three more Guardsmen were scattered about, like broken rag dolls.

Three Astartes remained, along with Torenson, who still walked, but was covered in blood. One of the Raptors was missing an arm, his remaining gauntlet clutching at the stump desperately. It seemed strange to see the giant so wounded.

''Eldar! Guardians!'' One of the Raptors shouted.

In the distance several green and white forms came out of the jungle, a Wave Serpent rising out of the trees were the tank deployed the xenos warriors. Shrunken rounds took the Raptor holding him in the throat. He crashed to the ground as the dead Astartes guardian slumped to the floor. A stray shuriken round cut the breathing hose of his rebreather and in a moment the poisoned air of Pandora filled his lungs.

White fire consumed his nerves as his vision blurred. There was shouting and a sound of a bolter shot. He reached out desperately with a psychic call to anyone who would hear him. There where shots, and the crack of lasgun shots. Alien screams sounded as Marber's vision slipped away. Then a rebreather was thrust into his mouth, clean, pure air filled his body. His vision started to return.

''Sergeant Wedison, Catachan 38th'' a voice filled his ears and Marber slipped into merciful unconsciousness.

Captain Torenson, Marber and two Raptors Astartes were the only survivors of the thunderhawk clash and the Eldar ambush. They were taken in by the 38th who had garrisoned Base 15. Marber immediately was transferred to a medical shuttle and flown to the Capitol Imperialis for immediate medical treatment. Torenson was sent to Base 15's medical faculties for emergency treatment. The Raptors returned to their strike cruiser.

Inquisitor Marber went into a coma as a result of his wounds, and remained in extensive care of the Guard medicae in the immediate aftermath of the battle. His safety was given top priority.

The Eldar launched a series of rapid strikes following the initial ambush. Mostly aimed at removing the immediate forces threatening the remaining Na'vi clans, seven Guard regiments were destroyed in the first week alone.

Base 16 was the first to fall.

In space, an Eldar fleet began to appear, harrying the Guard fleet. Soon the Navy ships had enough trouble merely protecting the Guard supply routes to interfere on the ground war at all.

Karlon was taken a shuttle to the Capitol Imperialis before that had happened thought. Once there he took one of his Master's vermillion level keys and executed one of the deeper sub-routines programmed within him by Marber in the worst case scenario. A powerful, astropathic message was sent from the Imperial fleet on the highest security codes across the sector. It was intended for all Imperial forces, but one group in particular.

In the Linus Subtus system, the Eagle Warriors Second and Fourth Companies answered the call of the Inqsuition. The chapter Librarians reviewed anhcient honor debts that they owed to the Ordo Xenos. A desicsion was reached quickly. The Eagles would come.

In Dasta Prime, Bjorn Redmaw's Great Company answered the Inquisitorial challenge of an Eldar warhost, the Icehowl, Redmaw's flagship set off immediately for the Pandora system.

On the chapter fleet of the Revilers, word was reached of the Raptors casualties and a group of Astartes were prepared on a vengeance mission for their brother Raven Guard successors.

Across the Faltian sector, various messages were given to various Astartes Chapters. Some were engaged in local warzones, such as the Sons of Guilliman chapter and the Mentors, others were on their own business, such as the Dark Angels.

However, many did answer.

The Astartes were coming to Pandora, not as a single company, but as a full crusade.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Alright, there you have it. The story is changing significantly. The first part of the story is over, now the second act begins, focusing heavily on the Astartes Chapters. The Eldar have brought forth massive armies full of Aspect Warriors and tanks to support the Na'vi in defending the planet.**

**The Imperium naturally responds with the Astartes.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's notes: Here is chapter nine of Invasion of Pandora. Originally I wrote up a different chapter for this story, but I disliked how it flowed and started over. Much thanks to for providing the idea of the Deathwatch team and being my Beta reader. I think now the story works better.**

**If anyone does not know what the Deathwatch are, they are an elite Ordo Xenos Astartes unit with recruits drawn from all Chapters. They are usually divided into kill teams. Scimitar Team is one such unit.**

* * *

**Invasion of Pandora**

**Chapter 9**

* * *

The drop pod screamed through the air and hit the ground with a resounding thud. Alien birds squawked through the jungle and dirt was thrown around everywhere as the drop pod opened and released it's occupants outside.

Seven black armored figures streamed out.

''Planetfall made, Scimitar all present?'' Brother-Captain Varius of the Eagle Warriors asked. He gazed about. The landscape of Pandora was unlike any other world he had seen in his long career as a Deathwatch kill-team member. He had fought on airless moons, desert worlds and jungle worlds. But no other world had this kind of color to it. If he were a sentimental man he would have called it beautiful.

He and his team had recently arrived in the Pandora system amidst a flotilla of Astartes ships on crusade. Their strike cruiser, the _Black Hunter_, had moved ahead of the main forced and inserted a single kill team into the planet below.

That kill team had one objective in mind.

The Deathwatch captain was a tall, massive figure, clad in jet black armor. One shoulder pad was blue, with a white wing, the heraldry of his chapter. The Eagle Warriors were a Second Founding Chapter, descended from the Ultramarines, known for their campaigning in systems conquered by Roboute Guilliman. The Captain carried an ornate power sword with its quillions formed into the wings of the Imperial aquila. In his other hand he carried an ornate, skull-plated bolter. His other shoulder guard depicted the skull symbol of the Deathwatch.

Malken of the Salamanders answered. "Present." The redoubtable marine was the second in command of the Kill-team, the Nocturne born marine was silent, but strong in his deliberations and known as a peacemaker.

''Here sir.'' said Merro Sentius in clipped tones. The Genesis Marine was a fellow Second Founding Ultramarines successor. Sentius was an elite member of his Chapter's Sternguard squads transferred to the Deathwatch.

''Here Varius. This place smells sweet!'' Fenrik of the Space Wolves answered. Unlike the rest of the Deathwatch kill team, he had his helmet off, exposing his white-blonde hair to the atmosphere of Pandora. He took a deep breath, his Astartes implants analyzing and neutralizing the poisonous atmosphere.

''Not like Fenris at all.''

''Indeed.'' Alerez of the Crimson Fists answered. A particularly massive warrior, he carried a modified heavy bolter as easily as another Astartes would carry a boltgun. He was also the youngest of the squad, sent to gain experience in the Deathwatch before returning to his chapter.

Next to him was his fellow Fist, Reikan of the Imperial Fists, a redoubtable warrior armed with a power fist. Behind the Fists was Bracken, the silent Iron Hand. Bracken was a aloof warrior, even by Deathwatch standards.

The last team member merely grunted. Naaren of the Raven Guard was a figure almost completely covered in black, save for a single stark white raven icon on one shoulder guard. Naaren was the team's unrivaled stealth specialist.

''Alright let's-'' Varius began, then Sentius's auspex began to beep. A massive shape darted out from the jungle. It was huge, easily as big as a Astartes bike. Corded muscles rose like humps on it's back, and it's fangs were the size of daggers. A patch of quills flared up behind it. The Thanator roared, it's eyes widening as it pounced in midair.

Fenrik smiled as he drew his frost axe and began to move forward. The loud report of a bolter filled the jungle as Alerez fired his gun. The hulking corpse of the Thanator crashed to the ground, it's head blown off by the large weapon.

''Glory hog,'' Fenrik accused lightly. Alerez chuckled. The two shared a friendly rivalry.

Sentius knelt by the corpse's side, looking it over. He gazed at Varius.

''Thanator, apex predator on Pandora.'' he summarized, standing back up.

''That thing wouldn't last a day on Fenris.'' Fenrik scoffed.

''I'm sure. But we have to move, Fenrik, Naaren take point.'' Varius commanded.

* * *

**Guard's position**

Torenson knelt, a spear whistling over head. He fired a shot from his bolt pistol, blowing apart a Na'vi that darted among the bright, multicolored trees up ahead. The corpse fell to the floor, blood staining the ground from it's massive bolt wound.

''Jonson! Callar! Grenades now! Pallack! Give them some covering fire'' he roared.

His command platoon was cut off from the rest of the 34th as they went on a patrol from Base 5. Right now they were holed up near a set of large trees, holding off swarms of ambushing Na'vi that were hungry for human blood.

In the distance he could hear the distinctive whump of xenos weapons. That could only mean that their were other Eldar forces in the area. Mostly likely they were supporting the Na'vi, thought Torenson sourly.

He was Colonel now, after Landers was killed. Right now he commanded what was left of the 34th, a roughly battalion sized unit now. Only a regiment in name. But they would still fight on.

They were Catachans dammit.

Another pair of Na'vi tumbled from the trees, their body punctuated by las-fire. It was Pallack's work, the bastard was always a crack shot, as to be expected from someone raised on Catachan.

Currently the Na'vi were attempting to flank them and engage in melee combat, where the larger size and strength of the Na'vi would prove to be more effective than trying to fight a losing ranged combat with the technologically superior Guardsmen.

Then something howled.

A huge black shape crashed through the undergrowth, blonde hair whipping around it's head. One ice-like axe clove a Na'vi from shoulder to hip while it's bolter blew another to pieces and took the arm of another Na'vi. The xenos whirled around, utterly surprised at the being.

After a few moments Torenson realized what, or who it was.

An Astartes.

Several more Na'vi were shot down out of the trees by efficient and cold marksmanship. Another hulking black figure simply ghosted out of the undergrowth, a knife in hand, it gutted the nearest Na'vi and shoulder charged another.

The xenos, now caught between the Catachans and the Astartes, were the prey. They quickly realized they could not win this battle. Rapidly, the Na'vi leapt away, trying to flee from the rapid and brutal assault of the Astartes. Another set of black-armored Astartes appeared out of the trees, overturning bushes as they deployed in assault formation. One opened fire with a heavy bolter, blowing off branches and treetops as they shot the fleeing Na'vi, while a Astartes with a red shoulder pad neatly and efficiently took out Na'vi with expert marksmanship.

In less than a minute the clearing was empty of Na'vi, save for their corpses.

Torenson got up, walking over the clearing, the forty odd men of his platoon moving out, lasguns ready for another Na'vi ambush. One of the Astartes walked over to him, a giant wielding an ornate power sword.

''Greetings, I am Captain Varius of the Deathwatch,'' the figure said, his booming voice enhanced by his vox caster. Torenson knew he was a big man, well over six feet tall, but compared to the Astartes he was like a child.

''I am Capt-Colonel Torenson.'' he said, catching himself. The rank of Colonel was new to him and he was almost uncomfortable with it.

The Astartes' helmet inclined slightly. ''A patrol?'' he asked.

''Correct, we got ambushed by the bluies. They may look primitive but they know the jungle.'' Torenson explained.

The Astartes captain appeared to contemplate this for a few moments. ''I see. And the rest of your command?'' he asked.

''Scattered. I've been trying to get in touch with the rest of my regiment, but the xenos-the Eldar I mean, not the Na'vi-are doing something to our long-range voxes.'' Torenson said. He looked up, sucking in air from his respirator.

''You hear that?' he asked.

Varius pondered for a few moments. ''Eldar shuriken catapults and war cries,'' he said finally, his auditory implants in his helmet accessing the data. ''I have fought them before.''

''Looks like the dammed Eldar have the native's backs,'' Torenson snarled. ''We were doing just fine until they showed up.''

The Captain turned to Fenrik who sniffed in the air. Torenson stared in shock as the Space Wolf huffed down the poisonous air like it was nothing.

''Eldar," he spat on the ground, his acidic spit burning a hole through a bush. ''Along with something else. Na'vi, I guess.'' He grinned, showing his fangs. ''Blue bastards put up a poor fight.''

''Then it's settled'' Varius turned to Torenson. ''We will rescue your command, we will need your expertise to support us when we take out the Eldar force.'' he explained.

''Is that it? To take out the Eldar? Meet them blade to blade?'' asked Torenson.

''That and more, but we have little time to waste talking.'' Varius said. He looked at Naaren.

''You're up.'' he looked back at Torenson.

''Do you have any scouts?''

''Yensen and Sheen.''

''Good, send them with Naaren.''

* * *

Naaren ghosted through the jungle. Normally moving in power armor was difficult for most Astartes, the power pack and extra bulk of the armor making stealth difficult to say the least. But the Raven Guard were renowned for their ability to infiltrate. Naaren had centuries of experience in this kind of warfare. He moved through the blue jungle. It was very colorful, even more so than most of the jungle worlds which he had fought before. The Catachans were keeping up with him, an impressive feat considering they were only mortal. But the Catachans were the Deathworld elite, born and at home in a jungle.

Yensen was the taller of the two, with a bionic eye and green tattoos. Sheen was smaller, like a rat and shaved bald. He wielded a black Catachan Nightfang and a shorter pattern lasgun. Both wore flak jackets and respirators.

Sheen stooped and looked about.

''You hear that?'' he asked.

Naaren did, it was the snarls of some sort of animal. His autosenses pierced the thick gloom and he spotted the strange forms of xeno hounds rushing out of the undergrowth, as if guided by some sort of hunting instinct.

''Viperwolves,'' Sheen cursed and began to fire. Yensen followed and Naaren opened fire with his own silenced bolter. He could see the xenos beasts were well named, with sleek, almost serpentine bodies and six limbs. Their eyes gleamed as they ran quickly through the undergrowth.

Naaren's bolter ran dry as he drew his combat knife. It was a blade that Naaren had carried ever since he was a member of the Raven Guard 10th Company, a variation on the standard Astartes combat blade intended for throat-cutting.

The Catachans drew their own Catachan fangs, huge knives that gleamed darkly. Naaren beheaded a viperwolf as it leapt out of a bush. Another viperwolf met it's end when Naaren dashed it's brains out with his bolter. Catachan blades flashed, cutting down several more as the viperwolves came, yipping and snarling. Naaren leapt between them and the Catachans, his combat blade flashing down and down again as the xenos hounds sought to bring him down by sheer numbers.

Yensen and Sheen dove where they could, taking out viperwolves as they came to Naaren's rescue. It took another two bloody minutes of knife-fighting, in which Yensen was bitten twice, to finish off the last of the viperwolves. Naaren stood over the large pile of viperwolf corpses, the xenos beasts had been simply cut apart by the cold calculating skills of the Raven Guard. The Astartes looked up at the two Catachan warriors who were breathing heavily.

''Thanks.'' he said simply. From Naaren it was the closest anyone ever got to praise.

* * *

**Base Five**

Twenty minutes later the Deathwatch and the Catachans encountered the enemy.

Base Five was one of the smaller Guard bases on Pandora, originally intended to be a large scale support structure, it was only half-finished when the front line moved forward, and instead was rebuilt into something smaller.

Twenty meter high rockrete walls and fortified trenches surrounding a series of tall gray buildings, barracks, armories and a landing pad. All around the base, almost a 110 feet of jungle was hacked and burned to the ground to give the defenders clear lines of fire. In all the base could hold comfortably the entire Catachan 34th regiment and the base's Tech-Adepts.

Currently it was being assaulted. Hundreds of Na'vi moved in packs as they entered from the far side of the trees. Warriors from different tribes were marked out in red and yellow warpaint. Several of them rode huge Hammerheads, while others rode Direhorses or a few Thanators. Leading them were groups of Eldar warriors. Three squads of Guardians were accompanied by two squads of Dire Avengers, resplendent in their blue armor. Several dozen Eldar corpses covered the ground along with the forms of many slain Na'vi.

Base Five's defenders were engaged in a full on last stand. Outnumbered and outmatched the remainder of the 34th had sheltered grimly in broken trenches and wall sections, firing back with whatever they had had. Missiles and heavy bolter ammunition had become scarce since the Na'vi and Eldar raids had begun.

Torenson's forward teams encountered groups of Na'vi sulking in the forest edge and flushed them out with grenades and knives. Coming into contact with the Na'vi flank the Deathwatch moved up to spearhead the assault.

The Imperial force attacked like a knife-blade. The Deathwatch formed the tip, while Torenson's company formed the main weight of the thrust.

''Contact.'' Alerez said over the suit vox as he opened fire with his heavy bolter. Na'vi exploded as he raked his gun alongside the exposed xenos flank. Storms of las-fire accompanied him, along with grenades and flamer bursts into the Na'vi. The entire xenos flank melted away under this sudden surprise assault. The Na'vi did not even detect the Catachans until too late, such was their skill and stealth with jungle warfare.

''There,'' Varius said, his autosenses making out the Eldar. ''They lead and support. Let's go. Alerez! Give covering fire!'' he commanded.

The Crimson Fist obliged, opening fire with his gun. Several white armored Guardians were blown apart as the Eldar reacted with impressive speed to meet the Deathwatch. The Astartes tore through the shattered groups of Na'vi, leaving the Catachans to support. The Dire Avengers sent out shuriken fire at the Deathwatch. Bolters roared back, armor-piercing Kraken bolts pitching several off their feet. The Deathwatch had fought Eldar Aspect Warriors before and knew what ammunition worked best.

Fenrik's bolter finished it's last clip, but he didn't bother to reload. Instead, he leapt into the group of Eldar Guardians who opened fire with their shuriken catapults at close range. But they acted too late, and Fenrik's power axe severed arms and guns with gleeful abandon.

The Dire Avengers moved in two groups, one opening fire with their shuriken rifles and the other moving on to catch the Deathwatch in a crossfire. Varius pitched to the side as a pair of shuriken caught him in the knee, grunting he shot the Avenger who did it. A valiant effort, but not nearly enough to subdue the Emperor's finest.

''I'll take the flankers.'' Sentius said.

''Tashen, Naaren, go with them, let Fenrik clean up the Guardians, the rest with me.'' Varius commanded.

Groups of Na'vi were coming up to support the Dire Avengers as the Deathwatch moved in. Although armed with little more than stones and spears, they still posed a threat. Currently concentrated bolter fire had reduced the Avengers to three on the left and six on the right. Reikan tossed a pair of frag grenades into the approaching Na'vi. The grenades went off, sending bits of metal scything through the Eldar and Na'vi ranks. The Eldar in their armor, were mostly protected, the Na'vi however suffered far worst.

Then Varius's bolter ran out and he knew there was no time to reload it.

''Blades from here on.'' the Eagle Warrior commanded, activating his power sword. The blade was sheathed in blue energy and he dove into combat, hacking through several Na'vi to reach the Dire Avengers. Reikan and Malken followed.

Varius met the first Dire Avenger blades swinging, but the Eldar warrior avoided his first strike with eye-blurring speed. Varius expected this, having fought Eldar before, and launched a flurry of strikes. The Eldar warrior avoided the first, the second and the third, but finally fell to a kick from Varius and a blade to the head.

Shuriken rounds tore dozens of tiny holes in the Captain's artificer armor as Varius whirled around. Malken fired his meltagun, vaporizing two of the Eldar warriors in a sudden burst of heat. Another two Eldar warriors cornered Reikan, fighting with gracefully curved blades. One blade caught the Fist in his knee, slicking through a weakened power joint to draw blood, another tore at the tip of his neck seal. Reikan's fist swept through the air, but the Dire Avengers avoided the cumbersome weapon with ease. Frustrated, Reikan brought his bolter stock around, the tip of the gun catching the Dire Avenger in the head as it tried to leapt back. The gun, propelled by the marine's superhuman strength, crushed the Eldar's helmet with two swift blows.

The last Dire Avenger was blown apart by Malken's meltagun as he reloaded the weapon. To the right Sentius leapt in a swirling firefight, blood dripping from his armor breaches. His boltgun coughed and blew back two warriors. Torenson and his command platoon came in to aid the Deathwatch, Carefully placed las-fire struck down three of the Dire Avengers as the Eldar whirled around to meet the new threat. Skilled through they may be, the Eldar were outnumbered and caught in a surprise attack.

''Purge them.'' Varius growled through his vox caster.

* * *

**Base 5 Medical Hall**

In the end, with the loss of most of the Dire Avengers, the Eldar withdrew. The retreat was done smoothly and professionally. As much as Varius had hated the aliens, he had a grudging respect for their combat skills. The same could not be said for the Na'vi. Once they were caught under the hammer blow of the Guard and seeing their allies flee, the Na'vi rapidly moved out, slinking back into the jungle.

Scores of Na'vi bodies were strewn across the tree-chopped field, along with the bodies of the Eldar. Torenson's Guardsmen cleared out the enemy corpses. Na'vi and Eldar alike were stacked like piles of cordwood and set afire. As for the Deathwatch...

None had fallen, a testament to the speed in which they had attacked. However, most of them sported wounds of some kind from the fierce, but brief firefight against the Eldar. It was nothing that they could not handle, yet it would also not do to underestimate the enemy. As Varius had faced the Eldar before, he knew that he had not yet faced their greatest warriors.

Varius's power armor hummed softly as he walked through the halls of Base 5 with Malken and Sentius by his side. The Deathwatch were still covered in bits of xenos flesh and blood. The three were all helmeted.

The walls of the base where like every other prefabricated guard structure on Pandora. It was a ferrocrete and plasteel construction, intended to be air-dropped and assembled as soon as possible with little though for comfort. The walls had stamp-pressed aquilas on them, along with propaganda posters and various leaflets. Groups of Catachan Guardsmen stared as the Astartes stalked past.

Torenson came up behind, his rebreather was off now that he was in the sealed pressure of the Base. He was glad, he hated wearing those things, hated it almost as much as he hated the xenos. He like all Catachans hated being restricted.

The battalion that high command referred to a ''regiment'' had taken casualties during the assault, but it was nothing major. The Catachans skills and the Base's fortifications had seen to that.

''Brother-Captain!'' he said, jogging up. Varius glanced at him, servos whirring faintly.

''Yes?'' the Astartes said.

''Your hurt.'' Torenson noted.

''It is nothing, do not waste time by lamenting by wounds,''Varius said, his voice deep. ''Instead lament another.'' he said.

''Who?'' Torenson asked. Then he stopped and realized. ''Captain, you don't mean…'' He saw where Varius intended to go.

The medicare section of Base Five was divided into two wings. One for officers and the other for the common soldiers. Catachan officers had insisted they be treated alongside their men, this leaving half to the medi-bay almost unoccupied.

Inside the room, which on any other Catachan base would have been stripped of equipment, lay a figure on a bed, tended to by a hunched figure. Wires and tubes ran into the shrouded figure as he breathed shallowly on the bed.

The hunched figure looked up.

''Thank the Emperor.'' said Karlon, savant to Inquisitor Marber.

''We put him here after the initial xenos reinforcement. The Lord General had him hooked up here, far to the rear,'' Torenson said softly. ''We were waiting for the Inquisition to come and pick him up, but we never expected a kill-team.''

''He is the key to victory on this world,'' Varius said. He turned to Torenson. ''Can you imagine it? Several Space Marine chapters, striking on this world, tearing into the xenos. But they can't end this conflict just yet. Only Marber knows were the heart of the planet is located.'' Varius explained.

''He did say something about that,'' Torenson admitted. ''What are you going to do?'' he asked.

''Simple,'' Varius responded. ''We will revive him.''

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**The Eagle Warriors and the Genesis Chapter are both Ultramarine successors listed in the 2008 Space Marine Codex. The Eagle Warriors have a halved white and blue color scheme and the Genesis have a red color scheme. The rest of the chapters should be well known to 40k fans.**

**For clarification here is the Kill-Team roster.**

**Brother-Captain Varius: Of the Eagle Warriors. The commanding officer of the kill-team.**

**Malken: Salamander. He is the second-in-command**

**Sentius: Genesis Chapter, a bolter specialist**

**Reikan: Imperial Fist**

**Alerez: Crimson Fist**

**Tashen: Iron Hand**

**Fenrik: Space Wolf**

**Naaren: Raven Guard, stealth specialist**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Notes:** Well here is Chapter 10 acted as beta-reader so thanks to him. Also this fic recently hit 10,000 words. Which is very cool.

**Master of the Bloodwolves**: Actually I put Bjorn Stormwolf in there because I was juggling around for which Wolf Lord I wanted to be on Pandora. I've actually changed it now to Bran Redmaw.

* * *

**Invasion of Pandora**

**Chapter 10**

''Base Five and the surrounding territories here are suffering from supply and reinforcement difficulties because of the Eldar air superiority.'' Torenson said, pouring over the holo-map.

After Varius had revealed his reason for coming to the Base he had called Torenson to the main holo-room. The place was similar to the one at Base 16, but smaller and more cramped. Varius and his Deathwatch had to stoop in the low confines of the room.

''Currently we hold air-superiority in these sectors.'' Malkan of the Salamanders said, he had his helmet off, exposing his crimson eyes and dark-skinned features. He tapped one great emerald gauntlet on the surface of the holo-table.

''We were forced to come in by Drop Pod, sending Thunderhawks to retrieve the Inquisitor and your group would be too risky at this sector.'' explained Varius. He had his helm off, exposing his aquiline profile and bald head.

''Then do you propose we go overland?'' Torenson said dubiously.

''That's right, but it would have to be a small quick convoy. You would have to take the best of your men to guard the Inquisitor until we can get him to the Ordo Xenos medical faculties that arrived with our ship. The rest of your regiment can follow on foot when we punch a hole in the natives' defenses.''

''And the Eldar?'' Torenson asked dubiously.

''We will protect you. We are skilled at dealing with them,'' Varius promised, forming the sign of the Aquila over his armored breastplate, the great gauntlets clacking lightly against the silver eagle. He turned to another Deathwatch member.

''Sentius?''

''Right on it sir.'' the Genesis Marine smoothly stepped up.

''There are six Astartes forces on this world. The Space Wolves under Bran Redmaw.'' he indicated a wolf's head icon on the holo-screen.

''The Ultramarines 7th Company.'' he indicated an omega icon.

''The Eagle Warriors 2nd and 4th Companies with support from the rest of the Chapter.'' there was a starburst shield icon.

''The Iron Champions 3rd.'' he pointed out another sign.

''The Revilers 5th''

''And a Blood Angels strike force based around their 4th Company with assault marine support,'' Sentius indicated the blood drop. ''Right now they are purging enemy forces at Sector Seven, they are closest to us, once we reach them we should be safe.'' he explained.

''And how far are they?'' asked Torenson.

''Twenty clicks'' Malken calculated.

''Twenty clicks through the jungle? With the Eldar and the Na'vi? Those are formidable odds.'' he noted.

''We've had worse Colonel,'' Varius's visor glinted. ''We've had worse.''

* * *

Torenson pressed the vox-comm.

''Are all units a-go?'' he asked. He was in Alpha-One, his newly refurbished command Chimera. The figures of two black-armored Deathwatch Astartes were seated in the Chimera's troop bay, the rest of the post taken up by his command squad.

A dozen Chimeras plus four Banewolves would make up Strike Force Alpha under the joint command of Captain Varius and Colonel Torenson led the convoy. Their mission was simple, break through to the jungle and to The Blood Angels. The Angels had already been contacted and they would move in to rendezvous with the Catachans and the Deathwatch. Marber's body had been transferred to a medical Chimera code-named Alpha-Zero. Varius himself rode in that Chimera, determined to protect the Inquisitor whatever the cost, the rest of the Deathwatch team was scattered through the convoy in order to supplement the skills of the Catachans and aid them.

Quickly all of the Alphas from zero to fifteen rattled themselves off with their current Astartes. Torenson nodded and activated the vox-link to his entire command company.

''Move out.''

The recently repaired gates of Base Five swung open and the Banewolves went out first followed by several Chimeras, then Alpha-Zero, then finally the rest Chimeras. Quickly they set out into the jungle edges.

It wasn't until fifteen meters later that Torenson worked up the courage to talk to the marines.

The two stood like statues at the Catachans went over and over on weapons checks and small talk. On occasion the Astartes would pause to check their weapons, inspecting the master-crafted boltguns and combat knives.

''I'm sorry I didn't get to ask this earlier, but you are of the Salamanders, correct?'' asked Torenson, pointing to the drake's head icon on one shoulder guard. The Astartes named Malken glanced over him briefly, the snout-like helm inspecting him for moment.

For a few seconds there was merely the scrape of tree branches as the Chimera's dozer blades plowed through the undergrowth.

''Correct.'' The Salamander sounded almost…amused, even through the helm's vox distortion.

''My grandfather fought alongside your Chapter once, he told me tales of green-armored fire warriors during his time in the 52nd.'' Torenson recalled, his mind flashing back to the hoary old man who had taught him to field strip a lasgun and blow the head off a Catachan cobra at forty paces.

''I must say, it's a real privilege to meet a Salamander.'' he continued. He was starting to feel rather foolish at approaching the subject when the Marine answered.

'''The 52nd you say? Was your grandfather's name Torenson as well?'' he asked.

''Nah, it was Brown, that was my mother's maiden name.'' Torenson said.

''Ah, I see….I fought alongside the 52nd on Forscant, but no Brown.'' Malken said.

''Oh, I see.'' Torenson muttered.

''I apologize if i disappointed you.''

''It's nothing,'' Torenson brushed it off. ''Really it's nothing.'' he looked back at the screen.

''Say how old are you anyway?'' he asked.

''Two hundred and eighty nine.'' Malken rattled off.

Torenson's head snapped back. ''Really?'' he was surprised. He knew Astartes were long-lived, but he had no idea…

''How old are you?'' asked Malken, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

''Thirty, I'm an old man by Catachan standards. You don't tend to live long on a Deathworld.'' Torenson shrugged.

''I see.'' There was a sharp rumble outside then the vox system blared. Torenson picked up the receiver.

''Contact! Contact! I repeat Contact!'' the voice of the lead driver sounded. Outside weapons fire began to sound, along with the bestial roars of the Na'vi war beasts and alien battle cries. Torenson cursed and grabbed his bolt pistol and chainsword.

Behind him Malken stood up, hefting his meltagun, Sentius followed his example, calmly loading his boltgun with the practiced ease of a veteran. He turned his helm to Torenson with an almost amused cock of his head.

''Let's go Colonel, we have work to do.''

Weapons fire scythed through the jungle. The Chimeras opened up with multi-lasers and heavy bolters. Dozens of hulking Na'vi Hammerheads charged towards the Chimeras. Their massive armored heads ripped through undergrowth as they came in fast. The Hammerheads fell to the ground, slain by heavy las-fire or bolter rounds. Their massive corpses thudded into the ground. But a few made it through the barrage, coming within a few feet of the Chimeras.

One of the tough IFV's was lifted up into the air as a pair of massive warbeasts tore into its side, the plasteel side plating curling and breaking under the massive pressure of the Hammerheads, the Chimera tipped to the side, smoke spewing from it's engines. Reikan and Alverez leapt from their Chimera. Alverez pressed the trigger on his suspensor-modified heavy bolter, blowing apart the neck of a Hammerhead. The carcass thudded to the ground ad Reikan leapt towards a charging Hammerhead.

The Imperial Fist leapt to the side as the Hammerhead charged pas.t His power fist activated in a burst of energy as Reikan rammed his fist into the meaty side of the Hammerhead, tearing through the torso and into the vital organs. Reikan stepped away from the corpse of the Hammerhead as Alverez moved up, sending more fire into the jungle. Narvaan, Tashen, Sentius and Malken exited their vehicles. The Genesis Marine fired a single burst into the eye of another Hammerhead as it turned around.

The Hellfire rounds tore through the left eye of the Hammerhead, the corrosive rounds annihilating the skull of the xenos warbeast. Malken's meltagun reduced yet another Hammerhead into a steaming crater. Weapons fire came again, but not from the Chimeras. The forms of Eldar War Walkers came through the jungle. Two more of the Chimeras were ruptured by scatter lasers, fire and smoke spilling out into the jungle.

The forms of Eldar Aspect Warriors and Na'vi fighters appeared out of the green. The Deathwatch were the first to answer fire, taking cover behind the burning Chimera wrecks. Sentius scored the first Eldar kill, blowing off the head of a Dire Avenger with a well-placed shot.

''Colonel,'' Malken voxed. ''Transports are no longer safe, the enemy has anti-tank.''

''Understood, all units we have contact! Deploy and give the xenos hell!''

The Catachans piled out of the Chimers, lasguns blazing as they answered the xenos assault. Several Na'vi dropped from concentrated las-fire and a Catachan fired a grenade launcher into a group of Na'vi warriors emerging from cover. The giant blue-xenos leapt with inhuman ability and speed. Their battle-cries ripped through the air. Several Catachans fell from javelins and slings as they closed. However a Banewolf ground forward past the wreck of a Chimera to dose the xenos with its main gun. Acidic chemicals covered the tall blue xenos. They writhed and screamed as they tried to leap out of the way, but it was too late for them. The chemicals burned their flesh right off their bones. A handful of figures stumbled through the toxic sludge, scraps of dissolving skin hanging off their mutilated forms before the Catachans took them out.

Several Eldar warriors appeared. They wore heavier armor than the normal Eldar warriors, colored green and ochre, reinforced with strips of obsidian. Their helms were fashioned into curved crests and they carried roaring chainswords.

Striking Scorpions. The Eldar stealth assault teams.

Las-fire simply scorched their heavier armored suits as they tore into the Catachans. Their diamond toothed blades tore into the flesh of the Guardsmen, lopping off limbs and beheading with ease.

Fenrik came charging through the flames, fire whipping off his hair and beard. He gave a great howl and slammed into the nearest Striking Scorpion, his power axe cleaving the Eldar warrior from shoulder to hip. Another Striking Scorpion leapt back as he swung again. A chainblade skidded off Fenrik's shoulder guard as he beheaded another Striking Scorpion. Another chainsword lashed out, seeking the Space Wolf's throat. Fenrik leaned back, the lethal blade missing him by a hairsbreadth. The Space Wolf took the opportunity to lop off the arm of the offender.

Another Scorpion fell back, mandiblasters spitting rounds at Fenrik as he raised his gauntlets to protect his face. There was a brief bolter burst as Sentius and Malken ran in. The Salamander's meltagun reduced a Striking Scorpion to ashes, Sentius blew the head off another one.

Fenrik finished off the last.

''Fire Dragons,'' the voice of Narvaan came on the vox. ''Heading right for Alpha Zero with Dire Avenger spot.''

Indeed, several red and orange armored warriors were moving up. They carried alien fusion guns. Behind them several blue armored Eldar warriors laid in covering fire. They had white crests and enlarged shuriken rifles.

There was a shout and a Tashen and Narvaan laid down covering fire, pitching three of the Aspect Warriors to the ground. The carapace armor that the Aspect Warriors wore offered little protection against armor-piercing kraken bolts. A set of grenades was hurled into the air by Reikan as Alverez laid down suppression fire. As Fenrik, Malken and Sentius moved up past swarming Catachans a score of massive blue aliens dropped from the trees above. Na'vi armed with knives and clubs swarmed over the Astartes.

No fusion gun could be allowed to Target Alpha Zero.

The Dire Avengers switched their targets to the Fists, Shuriken fire forced Reikan and Alverez down, giving the Fire Dragon much needed cover fire. Suddenly the ramp of Alpha Zero dropped to the ground with a thud.

A hulking black figure leapt out from the Chimera, landing on the ground with a thud. Scarcely had he done so when the ramp of the Chimera closed rapidly. It was Varius. In one hand he had his power sword, in the other he leveled his bolter. He leapt forward, squeezing off a short burst as he did so. The Kraken penetrator rounds tore through the bodies of two Fire Dragons as they darted to the sides, firing their fusions guns at Varius as they did so.

A web of energy flared around the Deathwatch Captain for a split second as three Aspect warriors targeted him. Then the light faded and energy crackled around his Iron Halo. Varius smoothly shot another Fire Dragon before closing in. His power sword cut down another red armored warrior and he swung around, slicing off the trigger hand of the last remaining Fire Dragon who pointed its fusion gun at him. The Deathwatch Captain completed the kill by beheading the Eldar.

Shuriken rounds pattered off the captain's artificer armor as he took a step back. The blue-armored Dire Avengers were opening fire upon him in an attempt to take revenge for their fallen comrades. Nearby a log exploded from a scatter laser. Then several more Chimeras came rolling up, multi-lasers and heavy bolters blazing. Storms of las-fire came from dismounted Catachans. Several grenades were launched high into the air. As they landed large explosions ripped through the alien jungle as they did so.

Reikan swept his power fist through the chest of a snarling Na'vi as Alverez clubbed another xenos to death. The blue armored xenos had followed their allies in an attempt to support them, confidant that the advanced skills of the Aspect Warriors would aid them.

Not so anymore.

Without the Fire Dragons and their assault specialists the Eldar attack was gutted. Quickly and efficiently the remaining Aspect Warriors withdrew under the guns of their War Walkers, firing back as they did so.

In less than a minute there was no more Eldar present.

Torenson came jogging up to Varius. He, like all his men, wore the rebreather for the Pandoran environment. His chainblade was clogged with alien blood.

''I didn't expect this kind of support, Aspect warriors and armor.'' Torenson marveled. Varius was silent before he turned around.

''We lost vehicles.'' he began. ''But we have to move on, how many of your men are still left?'' the Deathwatch Captain asked.

''Enough to fit in the remaining vehicles, if that's what you are asking.'' Torenson said.

''Then we best get moving.'' Varius said as he walked towards Alpha Zero.

''And the bodies?'' he indicated the corpses of the slain Catachans.

Varius stopped and turned towards him. ''I recognize your devotion to your dead comrades' bodies, and I too believe they need a worthy burial. But we don't have time. We should get what ammunition we can and move out.'' he said.

''I see.'' Torenson sighed before he turned around and began to issue orders to his men.

* * *

''What do we have Alpha Six?'' asked Torenson over the vox. After a few moments, the lead chimera, Alpha Six, replied.

''Nothing, no Blood Angels.'' said Sergeant Dillon.

''I'll try communications.'' the Colonel sighed.

After the latest ambush the convoy had carried on for another several more miles through the thick jungle. Everyone's nerves were on edge after the last attack, several vehicles had been lost along with many of Torenson's best. The Catachans could ill-afford another attack like that.

They had finally reached the rendezvous point, but there was no sign at all of their contacts. The place that they had chosen was a place relatively free of the alien jungle and near a small valley.

''Nothing?'' asked Malken. Torenson turned to glance at the Salamander.

''Nothing.'' he replied before looking back at the tactical screen.

''All units form up into a defensive formation.'' he commanded. They would wait here for another half-hour before turning around.

Suddenly an explosion sounded outside.

''Contact!'' Dillon voice came, sounding panicked over the vox-channel. Torenson cursed.

''Catachans! Disembark and engage!'' he ordered.

Outside in the valley from the jungle the forms of Eldar War Walkers and a quartet of Wave Serpents deployed, alongside Eldar Aspect Warriors. From the lip of the valley the forms of hundreds of Na'vi riding Direhorses emerged, forming up in attack groups. Multi-lasers spoke alongside heavy bolters as the Chimera gunners took their range and responded to the xenos assault. Torenson hurried as he directed his vehicles fire at various targets in an effort to stave off the assault.

Another pair of Chimeras exploded as Alpha One roared, blowing apart a pair of War Walkers with expertly placed shots. The Eldar Wave Serpents gunned forward smoothly over the tall grass, their grav-engines sending gentle ripples over the fauna below. Their hatches opened and two squads of Fire Dragons emerged, carrying their fusion guns. Two other squads of Howling Banshees also emerged, leaping out of their Wave Serpent with acrobatic grace. The last Wave Serpent revealed a squad of azure-armored warriors. At their head was a tall figure dressed in ornate robes and carrying a crackling sword.

A Warlock. Eldar Combat Psyker.

Behind the Wave Serpents, groups of more blue-armored Dire Avengers came up, along with a trio of black-armored aspect warriors wielding reaper cannons.

''Deathwatch move out. Fire Dragons are the priority.'' Varius's voice commanded. Chimeras moved up to block Alpha Zero from the Eldar assault. Rapidly the hatches of the Chimeras dropped and the Deathwatch and Catachans emerged.

A pair of Fire Dragons were blown to pieces by accurate fire from Sentius while Alverez opened fire with his heavy bolter. Five more Fire Dragons were blown into pieces as the Deathwatch split their fire between two targets.

The Howling Banshees leapt towards the Deathwatch as the Chimeras and the Catachans opened fire. A Chimera moved up to target them but fire from the Wave Serpents blew it apart. Two of the Aspect Warriors fell to las-fire when a Catachan unleashed a flamer. The Eldar Aspect warriors leapt through the fire and flames to land among the Catachans. Their war masks shrieked, blasting the nervous systems of the Guardsmen as their power blades slashed and flickered. Human limbs fell to the ground alongside corpses.

''Alverez!'' Varius commanded as he turned around and blew the head off a Howling Banshee twenty meters away. The Crimson Fist compiled and turned his heavy bolter at the approaching Eldar females as the rest of the Deathwatch squad moved to cover him. Tashen fell, blown apart by fire from the Dire Avengers.

Varius looked around, his auto-senses piercing the smoke and flames all around. From one flank the Eldar had come in, from the other the Na'vi were quickly gaining momentum. Tashen was dead. They alone were having trouble holding off the Eldar, if the Na'vi joined in…

Suddenly overhead several figures swooped down, jet engines screaming. Looking up Varius instantly recognized the blood red forms of Astartes Thunderhawks. Weapons fire blazed from their wing mounts as they opened fire into the xenos blew. Scores of Na'vi were blown apart by missiles or battlecannon fire. Several Dire Avengers and Dark Reapers also disappeared along with the forms of the Eldar War Walkers. Quickly the drop bays of the Thunderhawks opened up and the Angels descended.

Over seventy shapes flew down, separating into two groups, one led by a Captain in ornate armor, the other by a skull-masked Chaplain. The Chaplain immediately led his warriors into the fraying Na'vi ranks while the Captain led the strike right into the Aspect warriors. The Banshees were immediately cut off their compatriots as a pair of Blood Angels flew down and bathed them in promethium. The Captain's squad immediately hit the ground before the Fire Dragons and tore into them with chainswords. Fire Dragon after Fire Dragon fell to the Captain's crackling power saber.

A blue armored Librarian descended on blood red wings of psychic energy. He extended one hand, creating a lance of psychic energy. Quickly, he cast it, like a javelin. The projectile, propelled by his psychic might, tore through the side of a Wave Sergeant, destroying it.

As for the other Eldar vehicles Eldar assault marines landed on the, attaching melta bomb and flying off as the Eldar transports were ripped apart in a massive series of orange explosions. More yellow-helmed assault veterans attacked the Dire Avengers.

''Deathwatch! Move up! Avenge Tashen!'' Varius commanded, leveling his bolter at the Dire Avengers.

The Dire Avenger Exarch, a figure in more heavier and ornate armor then his brethren, sliced apart three of the Blood Angels with his dire sword as they closed in.

Then from the rear the Deathwatch cut down several of his warriors with concentrated bolter bursts. The Warlock raised his hands, frying two of the Blood Angels before he was swarmed and hacked apart by their Assault Marines.

''He is yours Malken.'' Varius voxed as the Salamander moved forward, opening fire at the Exarch as he turned around to face the new threats. Light filled the air for a second before the alien warrior was vaporized.

A Fire Dragon head flew through the air and the Blood Angel Captain landed next to Varius. He was clad in ornate master-work armor. Scenes of battle and victory were worked into his vambraces and greaves. On his shoulders was the winged blood drop of his chapter. His helmet was formed into the handsome visage of his primarch, crowned with a silver laurel.

''Captain Castigon of the Blood Angels Strike Force. Looks like you could use some help.''

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

As noted before the Eagle Warriors are a Second Founding Ultramarines chapter. Normally they crusade in systems conquered by Roboute Guilliman but they are devoting forces to the Pandoran Crusade since they were nearby.

The Revilers area Second Founding Raven Guard Successor.

The Iron Champions are a chapter that appeared briefly in the Armageddon campaingh background. Here I've chosen to interpret them as Imperial Fist successors.

Bran Redmaw is a real Wolf Lord in the Space Wolf Codex, you can look him up. Captain Castigon is also a real Blood Angels Captain in the Codex. He is the Master of the 4th Company ''Knights of Baal''


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: This is quite a short chapter, mostly just covering Marber awakening and setting it up for the grand battle between the Astartes and the Eldar.**

**This chapter was edited by St. Gene, so full thanks to him.**

**TheEmperorProtects: Okay to clarify a few things...**

**Well you've corrected yourself on the Catachan/Cadian issue.**

**Contrary to popular belief the Inquisition does not use Exterminatus casually. It is only done generally when a planet is completely lost to the Imperium (Tyranids covering a planet, a daemonic infestation that the Grey Knights can't get rid of, etc, etc) For the Imperium, it really is cheaper just to send in Guardsmen instead of wasting virus bombs.**

**Then things got more complicated when the Eldar showed up.**

**And the Catachans are not the only ones on the planet. I've just chose to focus on a single regiment for most of the story. Many other regiments are present in other warzones on Pandora.**

**But thank you for the review. If you have any more issues with the story please let me know.**

**Kqr66: I'm afraid I don't know quite enough about your OC to include him just yet. Is there more you can tell me?**

**Thanks to all those who reviewed. C&C is welcome.**

* * *

**Invasion of Pandora**

**Chapter 11**

* * *

**Inquisitorial Medical faculty-**

Darkness, voices, and pain. _Lots_ of pain.

Inquisitor Marber opened his eyes blearily as light shone in his vision. He was blinded for a minute before he tried to look around. A hand firmly but gently pushed him back into the cot he was sitting in.

"He's awakened." a voice said.

"Thank the Emperor!" another voice said. Marber faintly recognized it as his manservant, Karlon.

"Wh-What?" he groaned out weakly.

His vision cleared. Several men where surrounding him, they were dressed in deep red surgical robes with the "I" symbol on them. After a few moments Marber realized they were Inquisitorial surgeons and medics. Most likey they where in the employ of the Ordo Xenos.

He was in some sort of Imperial Medic room that looked like it was field constructed. Knowing the conditions on Pandora, it probably was.

_Pandora_? Marber thought briefly.

Then his memories returned with a fresh stab of pain.

He groaned again.

"Are you feeling alright my lord?" Karlon asked him nervously.

"A little weak but fine." Marber said. "I remember the accident…tell me, how long was I out?" he asked.

"Six months," one of the medics said. "You are in Base 3**. **You used to be in Base 5, but the Deathwatch was able to move you to friendly territory." he reported.

"The Deathwatch? The _Astartes_ are here?" Marber said in shock.

"Several companies, I am told." Karlon said

"Who dumped me in Base 5 anyway? No, never mind, I'll find out for myself later. Tell me, have the Eldar have invaded in force?" Marber asked.

"Yes sir, I have tactical and strategic reports by the Guard and Astartes commanders ready for you once you recover sufficiently," Karlon explained. "But, needless to say, the war for Pandora had gotten much more difficult than clearing out some local xenos."

"I see." Marber sighed.

"And sir?" Karlon asked.

"Yes?"

"Inquisitor Systos is here to see you about your information." he said.

Systos. An image of a cloaked, masked woman came to mind. She was his colleague and part of the local conclave. Why was she here on Pandora? Had he failed that badly?

"Very well," Marber sighed. "Help me dress, will you?"

* * *

Marber walked through the halls clad once more in his Inquisitorial clothes. A stormcoat over a flakweave suit. He had his force saber and hellpistol holstered at his belt, although in his current condition he could be rendered helpless by an infant, much less a Na'vi or an Eldar. The hallways were filled with Guardsmen who turned their gazes away from him. The Inquisition had arrived on Pandora in force, and all feared them. Cadian, Jantine, Mordian, Catachan, Eylsian, it did not matter. The level of mistrust was high.

"Here sir." Karlon gestured to a larger double-sided door. To the sides of the door where a pair of hulking black shapes. Deathwatch Astartes. Telling from their shoulder guards they were from the Genesis and the Salamanders chapter respectively.

The Salamander looked down at Marber, the snarl-nosed black helm gleaming in the hallway lighting.

"Inquisitor Marber. Lady Systos is waiting for you." he said, his voice a deep rumble.

"I understand." the doors opened in front of them and Marber stepped in, as he did so one gauntleted arm cut Karlon off from following.

"The Lady was very clear that only you would come" The Salamander said.

"I see," Marber nodded. "My apologies Karlon."

"Don't worry Master, I'll be waiting for you." Karlon called as the doors closed behind Marber.

Total darkness engulfed Marber. He glanced around.

"Aeria?" he asked.

A pair of lights appeared, illuminating the room. A holo-pedestal was in the middle of the room. A female shape was half hidden in the shadows. With a swish of her cloak Inquisitor Aeria Systos moved into his view.

"Jal Marber, it's been a long time." her cold, mechanized voice said.

"I've only recently awakened, but it's to my understanding that events have deviated heavily from the Concalve's original plan."

"Indeed." Systos was clad in a dark cloak. She wore an opera mask, hiding her features from the outside world. In the folds of her dark robe the gleam of an Inquisitional rosette could be seen.

"Because of that the Conclave has…._issues_ with your performance here. It should not be any difficulty to seize the planet's central nervous system."

"It was more…aware than we had planned for." Marber informed her.

Systos activated the holo-pedastel in the center of the room. Flickering shadows covered the edges of the room as a three-dimensional image of the planet Pandora appeared. Data-streams, like motes of light, played before Marber's eyes.

"Speaking of that, you managed to survive interfacing with it. Where is the central part of the planetary intelligence in question?"

Marber took a deep breath. "It's-"

_Green flashes, deathly skulls, bloody claws._

Marber grasped his head for a moment. "Sector 3-18, roughly three hundred meters in a basin." he said.

Systos activated the pedestal, ringing the location closer. A patch of Pandora's surface was now shown in greater detail.

"We've investigated that area before, but only briefly. Where exactly is it?" she asked.

_Death waits, ancient death sleeping beneath._ A strange feeling slipped over Marber but he shrugged it off.

He pointed to a spot. "I felt the center of the nervous system there. It takes the form of a giant glowing xenos tree." Systos studied the image.

She nodded slowly in her hood. "This is good, we will prepare the strike. Soon we will have it for our experiments. After we do that the locals here will be enslaved and exterminated at our leisure."

"How do you intend to gain control of the planetary intelligence?" Marber asked. An image of a glowing green symbol appear d in his mind briefly. He ignored it. "I linked with it. It was like staring into an ocean."

"I have a coven of psykers up to high Beta-class. They have been trained by the Telepathica and some of the most veteran mystics in the Ordo. Individually they might not be a match, but together they should prove to be more than sufficient." she said.

"S_hould_, being the key word. It might not be enough to destroy her." Marber cautioned.

"Her?" Systos asked.

Marber realized his choice of words. "It thinks of itself as female." he said.

Systos regarded him coldly for a moment. "If you have any xenos taint in you…" Her voice trailed off.

"I was checked over by your own physicians. There is no trace of corruption, Aeria."

"I see. Regardless of this planet's gender, we need to capture it relatively intact." she said.

Marber sighed. He knew that Pandora represented an enormous investment for the Inquisition. Nothing had been seen like it before, save perhaps the Tyranids. Some of the more radical members in the Ordo Xenos wished to study it, as to better purge the galaxy if any similar lifeforms existed.

"But the Eldar are here, they will have surely guarded the location with their best troops" he noted.

"Then we will have the Astartes brush it aside. The Eagle Warriors, the Ultramarines, the Space Wolves, the Revilers, the Iron Champions and the Blood Angels will lead an assault along with the Guard to purge everything." she said.

"And the intelligence itself?" he asked.

"Hopefully it will not be harmed. We've impressed upon the commanders the importance of caution in this operation. However, if it is damaged**,** it is of little concern. In the end it's only a xenos." she shrugged.

"Will I accompany the attack?" Marber asked.

She regarded him coldly. "No."

He expected this.

"Your current condition renders you unsuitable for the field of battle. In addition to that the Conclave feels that I am more suited to lead the armies here." She informed him.

"Lead? Don't tell me-" a flash of realization struck Marber.

"Yes, the Imperial Guard on Pandora have all been temporarily been inducted into the Ordo Xenos. The Astartes, while not strictly under our command, cooperate because of ancient chapter debts. The forces of the God-Emperor on Pandora, more or less, will move to the Inquisition's desires."

* * *

**Somewhere in the Na'vi territory.**

Farseer Kylia sat in mediation on a chamber that had been prepared for her. The Na'vi had been gracious hosts for their saviors and had prepared homes for the Eldar deep in the jungle, hidden from the Imperium's eyes. The room she had was a fairly simple wooden dwelling, deep in one of the Na'vi's many hometrees. Garlands of flowers where hung from roots to the sides, a small shrine of her ancestors dominated one part of the room. Her only concession to technology was her breathing mask.

Before her were the runes. She had cast them again and again, seeking to divine the future. Through the warp-haze she had seen the countless possibilities of the future. Victory, defeat, and more where muddled and mixed together.

A tiny glowing shaped floated in the room. It was a branch of the containment system on Eathial's Shield. It had proven to be surprisingly intelligent in the responses to her psychic probes, but that was only to be expected of a creation of the Old Ones. Her eyes snapped open as she took the petal in one hand, feeling the peaceful contentment and psychic energy emanated from the petal. It was like dipping into the Infinity Circuit on the craftworld, but different.

Around and around her energy swirled and she had a feeling of light headedness. She closed her eyes and let the petal flow away, breathing deeply as she did so, entering into the meditative disciplines her mentor had taught her.

Then a presence came.

She opened her eyes to see the glowing form of a male mon-keigh hang before her. The figure floated a foot off the ground, shining with a fey light. It regarded her with warm glowing eyes before stretching out with one hand.

It lightly touched her forehead, sending a small burst of its own unfathomable knowledge into her. She gave a brief gasp as the message was sent directly into her. There was no need for petty words this time. Sights, sounds and images came into her. The mon-keigh had awoken and he carried the knowledge of where the containment system's matrix was located. He carried the seed of doom with him yet he did not know it.

All across Pandora the body and people had been burned and broken by the mon-keigh. And now she felt the armies of the mon-keigh mobilizing across the breath of the land, like feeling pain through broken nerves she felt the mon-keigh approach throughout Eywa.

Then the containment system withdrew and disappeared with a twinkle until there was only the glowing petal left. Kylia fell back, panting lightly. It was enough to confirm which visions would most likely happen.

"Thank you." she said quietly.

The petal floated out. She sighed and sat back. Things where spiraling out of control.

Silently, she sent out a psychic pulse to her Autatch, Lithial.

He came striding into her chambers minutes later, clad in his gleaming green and white armor. His tall green helm gazed at her as he stood proudly before her.

"Lady Farseer, are we to strike again?"

"No," Kylia shook her head. "we are on the defense this time."

Lithial looked at her for a moment. "The Mon-keigh have found the containment system's center?"

"Yes" Kylia sighed. "If they tamper with it they will release the _yngir_. And that cannot be allowed."

"Foolish apes", Lithial sneered. "They will doom themselves if we do not stop them."

"Indeed," Kylia nodded and got up. "If not for the fact that we will be threatened by the return of the _yngir_ then I would let them die. But we must stop them. The Old Ones's containment system and creatures must be protected."

* * *

**Many miles underground.**

Death slumbered in the catacombs. It was ancient, far older than the race of humanity or the Eldar. It had walked the galaxy once, alongside its star-eating lords to burn and slaughter the arrogant Old Ones and their servants. It and many others slumbered in great catacombs, tens of thousands of them. Their weapons of war and ships where all buried deep underground, waiting after all these ages to be reawakened, waiting to harvest once more.

As it slumbered it remembered, remembered how its armies had come here in the closing days of the war to hibernate until the galaxy was filled with life to harvest once more, only to realize too late it was a last-ditch trap of the Old Ones on this world.

They had been bound and put to sleep in their own tombs underneath the world, when the last of the Old Ones spun an elaborate system to keep them in line. The chains of life bound the harvesters tightly to their sleep. For millennia uncounted, the harvesters had slept, defeated and imprisoned, but now they felt the chains weakening and slowly withdrawing. The death-lord stirred ever more, slowly awakening form it's torpor.

Soon, it thought dimly in its dreams.

_Soon._

* * *

**Author's Note: Don't worry, Marber will return to command eventually. Next I'll cover the start of the battle between the Imperials and the Eldar over the fate of Eywa,. That will be a two-parter for sure.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Notes: **Here is Chapter 12. The battle begins right at the end of the chapter here. Right after this we should be getting into the battle as proper.

This chapter was edited by St. Gene. So full thanks to him.

* * *

**Invasion of Pandora**

**Chapter 12**

* * *

Inquisitor Systos strode calmly through the hallways of the _Emperor's Benediction_. The sleek Inquisitorial battle cruiser now served at the orbital headquarters for the combined Imperial forces on Pandora. Only here could all branches of the Imperial military be comfortably accommodated. The hallways were made of black-veined marble quarried from the Anatolian mines on Terra, anyone else but the Inquisition would have been bankrupted by such an incredibly rare material, but the Inquisition demanded respect.

Currently, Systos had little time for frippery. Behind her came Captain Varius of the Deathwatch, and his second-in-command, Melkan of the Salamanders, and a pair of trailing servitors bearing the Inquisitorial banner.

Before her the pair of brass-embossed double-sided doors opened before her, the arcane sensors scanning her genetically and verifying her identity before letting her into the central planning room of the _Benediction_. A chorus of voices issued out as the Inquisitor calmly walked into the room. It was huge, over fifty meters long and shaped like some sort of small stadium. Here the assembled great and mighty of the Imperial armed forces on Pandora prepared for the plan.

In the center of the room was a massive holo-projector on a table shaped like a double-headed eagle. Dozens upon dozens of smaller holo-lecterns where linked to the main holo-projector in the middle of the room, allowing their users to see personally what was going on.

Many Imperial Guard colonels and generals were present. Lord General Thasion was present, in his white and gold uniform. A pair of Inquisitorial stormtroopers, a visible reminder of Systos's authority here, flanked him. Many Imperial Navy officers, including Admiral Kane, were present. Kane was a hoary old veteran of countless patrols in the Battlefleet Ultima, half of his body was replaced with various bionics so he could mere continue living.

But this personage was nothing compared to the Astartes.

Bran Redmaw sat at his lectern, surrounded by his Wolf Guard. The Space Wolf was clean shaved, odd for his chapter, but had long red hair bound with Fenrisian talismans. A wide scar split down the side of his head and his lupine yellow eyes took everything in. His armor was ice grey and he wore a massive grey wolfpelt over his shoulders. The skulls of Na'vi dangled down from his waist, right next to his ornate frostblade.

Brother Captain Larjan of the Eagle Warriors was next, armored in blue and white. Over his shoulders was a deep green cape and he held a comb-crested helmet by his side. His features where deep set and noble, with the shadow of his primarch, Guilliman, clearly visible. An eagle-winged axe was by his side. Surrounding him was a handful of his senior sergeants.

Captain Castigon of the Blood Angels had taken his helmet off for the occasion. His face was beauteous and striking, with curly golden hair and alabaster skin. No scars marred his handsome face. He was the very image of an Imperial Angel in all its power and grace. Attending to him was a skull-faced Chaplain.

Captain Kaler of the Iron Champions sat grimly in his own lectern. He was alone, clad in a massive suit of Terminator armor. Half of his face was replaced by bionics and he turned and nodded briefly to Systos as she entered. She had had dealings with the Champions before.

Shadow-Captain Zarman stood tall and ghostly. His skin was a snow white and his hair pitch black, part of the mutation that affected those with Raven Guard geneseed. His gauntlets ended in powerful lighting claws. A handful of cloaked Astartes waited patiently beside him, bearing the Captain' personal heraldry.

Last but not least was Captain Ixion of the Ultramarines. A blonde haired warrior clad in a suit of Terminator armor, he cast a powerful presence around the chamber. Together with Bran Redmaw and Castigon, they formed a trio of venerable First Founding chapters.

And they were all beholden to her. The thought made Systos's face smile behind her opera mask. All of this was under her command, more or less.

''Let the briefing commence.'' she announced, her voice ringing across the vast chamber with the help of a vox-caster built into her mask. She took up her position at the command lectern, the bulky forms of the Deathwatch filing behind her.

It was another obvious sign. She had the support of the Deathwatch with her, an organization which all of these chapters, including the notoriously independent Space Wolves, had contributed to. She had fought alongside them before and earned their trust.

''Thanks to the efforts of Brother-Captain Varius, Inquisitor Marber has been recovered." She turned her hooded gaze to Thasion who seemed to sweat more under the celling lights. She had not forgiven him for his sloppy attempt at getting rid of Marber.

''And now we have the required information to strike at the heart of the enemy. I am talking about the central nervous system of the living planet. Information which has been sent to all of you.'' she explained.

''My Lady?'' one of the communications runes on her lectern flickered on. It was Colonel Rardd, one of the Elysians.

''Take the floor Colonel.''

''Why don't we just obliterate the spot from orbit?'' he asked hesitantly, and with good reason.

''Simple,'' she said. ''Our objectives are to capture the central nervous system. We have no idea what would happen if we do destroy it. The planet might simply die on us, or be affected by tectonic earthquakes taking away the mineral ore we need.'' she explained.

It was a partial lie. The Inquisition wanted to capture the thing to study it, but Systos was hardly going to explain that to her soldiers. Nobody had any idea of what would happen to the world if they did destroy it.

''Thus, we will capture it. I have forty Beta and Gamma class psykers at my disposal, trained to counter the alien threat. The primary objective of the assault there is to confront and defeat the Eldar and native forces surrounding the central nervous system and capture it. Then we drive the remaining xenos out and begin mining operations.''

''What does the Inquisition intend to do with this 'nervous system' after it is captured?'' Bran Redmaw spoke, his yellow lupine eyes focused coldly on her.

''Study it if possible, so we can find some way of removing it without any negative consequences to us.'' she replied calmly.

The Wolf Lord appeared to accept this, not saying anything further, but still focusing those unnerving lupine eyes on her.

''What will be the expected numbers of the enemy?'' questioned Ixion of the Ultramarines. ''So far, looking over the detailed combat reports we've gathered from the duration of the Eldar's entry into the war, I'm guessing twenty thousand at the central nervous system?''

''Possible,'' Zarman, the Revilers Captain replied. ''I've had some of my men penetrate the jungle in search of the Eldar encampments, but we've been unsuccessful so far.'' he said.

''Aye,'' Redmaw nodded. ''I've sent my own bondsmen to search for the xenos, and we have found little in the jungle.'''

''Whatever it can be, the enemy force can't outnumber the Guard, or else they would have been far more aggressive against the Astartes troops deployed to support them,'' Larjan pondered. ''Does the Inquisition have any idea do the foe's capacity?'' he asked.

''We have sent our own xenobiologists to inspect the Eldar-identification runes on the armor of the dead we've recovered. Going by what little we know of their military organization at least four or more hosts are on this world. Of course exact numbers are impossible to determine, due to casualties and lack of knowledge, but forces from the armies assembled here should prove to be sufficient to take the area.'' Inquisitor Systos replied.

''Is this to be an airborne assault, I presume?'' an Elysian colonel asked.

''Yes, my own plans are as follows.'' Systos activated a button on the holographic lectern. In the middle of the room a set of force dispositions were laid out.

''As the Blood Angels and the Space Wolves are noted for their assault capacities, they will naturally lead the assault. The Revilers and the Eagle Warriors will deploy in drop pod and Thunderhawks.''

She marked out each unit with an identification rune. Redmaw's face remained impassive. Castigon looked amused at the plans and Larjan was pulling up more numbers at his lectern.

''And the Iron Champions?'' Kaler asked, his grizzled face looking at the Inquisitor.

''Will be held in reserve alongside the Ultramarines, I will accompany the reserve. It will be up to the task of the first wave to scatter the enemy force and make room for the second wave to secure the area. I will be bringing my Psyker Coven along for the next phase of the plan.'' she said.

''And I have not forgotten about the Guard. The Elysians and the Cadian regiments will move in by air with the first wave. They will punch a hole in the enemy force. The Catachan and the Brimlock regiments will be responsible for holding the landing zone against any enemy counterattack while the central nervous system is secured. And once that is done, more and more reinforcements can be poured into the area as we construct proper fortifications.''

''How long would the first wave have to hold?'' asked Larjan.

''No longer than fifteen or twenty minutes, if the calculations for the landers are correct.'' Systos said.

''And orbital support?'' Kaler added.

''Minimal, I'm afraid. While Imperial Navy wings will be there to support the efforts on the ground, actual orbital support can't be done or else we will destroy the tree.'' Systos clarified.

''What affect will out capture of the tree have on the Na'vi? Instead of surrendering, what if they…react unexpectedly? Say, they whip themselves into a berserk fury?'' A Cadian major asked.

''They are animals," Said Systos. "and they will die like animals."

-o0o-

Farseer Kylia stood, fully cloaked and armored in her psycho-plastic breastplate and warsuit. Green runes accented her white armor plate and her antlered helmet covered her features completely. She carried a slim witch blade and a pistol. All around her the Aspects gathered, shining blue and white of the Dire Avengers mixed with the red of the Fire Dragons and the black of the Reapers, Banshees jostled alongside Swooping Hawks as they stood in assembled ranks.

There where hundreds of Eldar warriors here, yet this was only a small part of the force she and Lithial commanded on this world. Thousands of more Guardians, Aspect Warriors and tanks where assembled in the deepest parts of the jungle, ready to defend the containment system. The Eldar gathered in a swollen crowd in front of the wraithbone gate in the middle of the jungle. Here they would be safe from Imperial eyes for a few days longer, but until now they needed the portal open for one last thing.

''What is going on?'' Vas'tey asked. He was clad for war, his face painted with the berry juices of the jungle and wreathed in war beads, each bead signifying a mighty deed or act of bravery he had accomplished. He carried his club and knives. Behind him were dozens of Na'vi chieftains, all similarly equipped and readied for war.

Kylia answered after a few moments.

''The Court of the Young King readies itself. Darthial of the Striking Scorpions Hidden Claw Shrine has been selected.'' she replied back to him in his own language.

A single Eldar Exarch walked through the jungle. The Eldar to either side of him gave him a wide berth. Beside him were other Exarchs of other shrines. All of them had their armor painted with strange runes and fetishes.

''The Court of the Young King? Who is the King? I thought Darthial was just a warrior.'' Vas'tey was confused.

''It is a ceremonial term. Darthial has been appointed as the Young King.''

''What does that mean?'' Vas'tey asked.

''Victory.'' Kylia answered him. Vas'tey was dubious, but remained calm as he watched the gate activate in a mirage of swirling colors. He did not flinch; years of war against the magic of the Sky People had hardened his soul to such sights.

''Our calling is ready Lady Farseer. The statue of the Bloody-Handed One is prepared on the other side for the Young King.'' Lithial said as he came up to her. He was clad in his green and white plate. He wore a Striking Scorpion's helm, a Banshee's Sword, and a Swooping Hawk's wings in his warsuit.

''Begin.'' Kylia nodded.

The Eldar began to chant a series of words as Darthial the Exarch strode towards the swirling portal. Vas'tey realized that this was some sort of religious rite. A prayer to his allies' gods? He did not understand the significance.

_''KHAELA MENSHA KHAINE,'' _was the chant, over and over again. It was almost beautiful, with hundreds of Eldar voices ringing together in unison. Almost like a heartbeat, Vas'tey realized.

Darthial was soon enveloped by the folds of light emanating from the wraithbone gate and vanished from Vas'tey's view. All of a sudden the chanting stopped, and all was silent, save for the sounds of the jungle.

''What now?'' Vas'tey asked.

Kylia didn't answer. Vas'tey decided it would be best not to repeat the question. After all, he might be interrupting something.

Then the folds of light darkened from the wraithbone gate after about three minutes, then bursts of fire began to leap from the gate. As Vas'tey watched in awe a single oversized arm emerged from the folds of light at the gate.

It was a twisted, bloody hand, clawing out into the air. Moments later a molten foot stepped out, bits of lava smoking the ground bear the gate. Then came another foot as the total shape came through the gate. Vas'tey watched in awe as the Eldar chanted the name of their war god over and over again. The being was huge, bigger than even the Na'vi. Its skin was crimson-orange metal detailed with glowing Eldar runes. Molten blood ran in its veins and its eyes and mouth were filled with fire. Its headcrest was shaped into some sort of strange Eldar symbol.

It carried a massive weapon in one hand. As Vas'tey looked it seemed to shift from a sword, to a spear, to a axe, to a club. No matter what it looked it emanated an aura of lethality and bloodthirst that Vas'tey could barely comprehend. It walked through the crowds of Eldar, like a force of primeval destruction bound in an iron frame of war. Its head slowly turned from side to side, assessing its fellow warriors. Each movement was like the hiss of magma.

Then it spoke.

**''I AM KHAELA MENSHA KHAINE.''** It spoke, it's voice loud and echoing, reverberating with an otherworldly quality. Although it spoke the language of the Eldar, Vas'tey and his chieftains understood it perfectly.

**''WAR CALLS."**

-o0o-

Marber walked through the halls of the _Benediction_. He still felt somewhat weak. It was testament to the Inquisition's vast resources and access to the very best medical care the Imperium had that he was upright. Nevertheless, he was still not ready for battle.

Walking through the _Benediction _was a relaxing experience for him. He had been here many times before, but only rarely did he have the time to go and inspect the ship at his leisure. Before that it had always been reports on aliens or tracking heretics. Right now he was looking for a part of the ship he had never actually visited before. It was an arming chamber, a place where the Deathwatch would conduct their business and prepare for war when their own ships were not available.

He found the room easily enough, after getting the location from Karlon, good old Karlon, who knew everything. The door itself was a gilded and embossed with the skull and ''I'' symbol of the Deathwatch. Two men, Chapter Serfs in carapace armor and robes watched him with hawk-like eyes. The members of the Deathwatch either brought their own serfs to attend to them, or used those provided by the Inquisition.

Marber walked up to them.

''What is your business here?'' one asked coldly.

Marber didn't answer but just showed him the Rosette. They stiffened when they saw that.

''Forgive me Inquisitor.'' one of them turned around and activated some mechanisms and the doors swung open.

Marber walked into a wide illuminated area. Various chapter serfs hurried around, bearing a multitude of armor and equipment. Servitors operated heavy machinery and checked over weapons one last time. Arming before battle in the Deathwatch was something unique, since each Marine was recruited from a different chapter with different traditions. Fenrik the Space Wolf feasted before battle and drank freely. Malken of the Salamanders brought brander-priests from Nocturne that would immerse himself in the Promethan cult before battle. Sentius chanted the names of past battles and oaths. Reikan scrimshawed the bones of past battle brothers to give them due reverence. Naaran made solitary prayer to his primarch. Alverez checked over his knives one last time.

Varius himself looked over each of his brothers. As Watch-Captain his duties included commanding and directing all of their traditions. He would accept all customs and quirks without prejudice.

Marber found him alone, attended by serfs as they machined armor and weapons into place. Black ceramite war-plate was lifted into place as his suit of power armor connected with the arcane black carapace implants.

''Why do you seek me, Inquisitor?'' Varius asked.

Marber studied the Deathwatch Captain before him. He had seen Astartes before, but not this close. The features of the Watch Captain spoke of the gigantism that was typical to the Astartes build, along with the kind of noble features that were reflected by his Primarch, Guilliman.

''You helped save my life. I merely come to give my thanks.''

''Thanks is not needed Inquisitor. The Deathwatch fights for the Imperium. Glories and official records are irrelevant, even discouraged in my line of work.'' Varius spoke as a serf fitted his left gauntlet into place.

''I still feel the need to do so.''

Varius was silent for a moment.

''Thank you.'' he said softly, as softly as an Astartes could. Someone in the black-ops of the Deathwatch did not often get thanks outside of his adopted battle brothers.

''There is some other reason than thanks'' Varius noted.

''Yes, that being down there, that central nervous system…she, uh—''

''She?'' Varius quirked an eyebrow.

''So Systos told you of my gaffe. Yes, the xenos being thinks of itself as a her.''

''How does that affect me?'' The Deathwatch marine asked.

''She thinks of herself as a-…..how do I say it? A guardian?''

''A guardian?''

''Yes, like she protects something. There is more to this planet then meets the eye.'' Marber said.

''What do you expect me to do about it?'' Varius asked.

Marber shrugged. ''Nothing. Hopefully, Systos's plan will work out perfectly and we'll have our victory. But just in case something goes wrong, I wanted to warn you.''

''Why me?''

''I've heard of your reputation, Varius, even if I've never served alongside you. You have a noble reputation, like the rest of your Chapter.'' Marber explained.

''What do you want me to do?'' Varius asked, his shoulder guards coming into place.

''Do what you do best. Kill xenos.''

-o0o-

Brother-Sergeant Gerhard of the Revilers squatted in a blue bush. His camo-cloak shrouded him from view as the rest of his five-man scout squad sheltered in the jungle of Pandora with practiced ease of training. Gerhard was the only full Astartes. He had had his black carapace implanted three long centuries ago and had decided to teach his chapter's recruits in the way of stealth and war, paveing their way to a full induction.

Right now, they were assigned to Captain Zarman's task force, scouting out the area for the xenos, and trying to find out the deployment of the enemy. Scout squads from other chapters were also working their way in. They had encountered seven xenos so far, all the tall blue-skinned Na'vi. They had all been dispatched by the silent knives of the Revilers. It felt good to do so. With each alien killed they avenged their brothers, the Raptors.

The Revilers would not have even considered going to this backwater world if not for the defeat of the Raptors. The deaths of their gene-cousins much be avenged. Other Chapters had arrived due to Inquisitorial debts, like the Eagle Warriors and the Blood Angele. Others came for challenge, like the Space Wolves.

But the Revilers came for vengeance alone.

''Sergeant, I've spotted something.'' whispered Tarkos, one of his promising young scouts into the nearby vox. He was staring through a set of macronoculars. Gerhardt gave a clipped series of orders and the scouts moved through the jungle, their camo-cloaks shrouding their forms.

In the distance they came on a rocky outcropping and peered out. Far above in the skies were floating islands of rock, suspended by magnetic force. It was a beautiful sight, but Gerhardt was focusing on something else. Hundreds upon hundreds of Eldar moved through the valley ahead, grav-tanks and troops readying for war in their assembled might. Colors of every type flashed in the blue-green of the Pandoran Jungle and valley.

In the center of the valley, so far in the distance that even Gerhardt's superhuman eyes struggled to see it, he saw the form of a bright tree-thing, suspended beautifully in the middle of the place. For a moment even his hardened soul was caught up in the beauty.

_''Blood of Corax.''_ Somebody whispered.

Gerhardt shook off the effects of the tree and focused on the enemy. Thousands more Na'vi were with the Eldar, readying their defense on the ground. Gerhardt had little doubt that the Eldar had hidden more troops nearby, ready to reinforce the position.

He activated his high-powered vox-link.

''Yes Brother-Sergeant?'' the voice of Zarman came on. Zarman and the rest of the Revilers were located high above the orbit, in the Wing of Corax, the orbital strike cruiser.

''I have the data and location of the enemy. I'm sending the data-feeds to you via-orbital link-up.'' Gerhardt said.

''Understood, move out soon. We prepare for the strike immediately.'' Zarman said.

''The entire operation?'' Gerhardt asked.

''Yes, everyone. Zarman out.'' The vox cut.

Gerhardt sat, his black eyes scanning out. Soon the might of the Imperium would fall upon them.

Then there was a rustle and Tarkos fell to the ground, a chainblade jutting through a gap in his carapace armor. A tall green figure materialized out of the jungle. Its helm shaped like some sort of rearing scorpion tail.

An Eldar Aspect Warrior. Striking Scorpions, stealth and close-range stalking specialists.

Gerhardt drew his combat blade and pistol as more Scorpions emerged from the jungle, head-mounted blasters spitting. One of them fell back, Gerhardt's shot tearing through its neck and throwing the corpse back. Chainswords and knives flashed as the four scouts and the Aspect Warriors engaged it other. It lasted ten seconds, but at the end of those ten seconds three Scouts lay dead on the ground. Only two Aspect Warriors fell, one to Gerhardt's shot.

Pain lanced through his being as the Revilers sergeant lay on the ground, his arms severed, above him crouched a figure even taller than the others. The Eldar warrior had one gauntlet replaced with a large, scorpion-like claw as it gazed down upon him.

It raised it, the energy field flashing as he did so. Then it stepped as a faint whistling sound came through the air. Gerhardt look up to see flaming comets descend through the lower atmosphere, each one cherry-red and crimson.

Drop pods.

Gerhardt smiled through bloodied lips.

_''Victorus aut Mortis.''_ he said, as the claw came down.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

So yeah, the Avatar has been summoned. Kylia really is getting that desperate to defeat the Imperium.

And yes, Victorus aut Mortis is the battlecry of the Raven Guard, not the Revilers. But I thought it too cool to pass up. And besides the Revilers would have at least a side reference to their parent chapter. I just thought it to be a cool line.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** Here is chapter 13. This and chapter 14 will be a two parter, covering the entire fight against the Avatar.

MASTER555: The Eldar in this story belong to the Biel-Tan craftworld.

Reivews and comments, are as always, welcomed.

* * *

**Invasion of Pandora**

**Chapter 13**

* * *

First, dozens of Deathstorm-class drop pods landed with a scream. The ground quaked as dozens deployed on the ground. The doors where blown off and assault cannons and whirlwind launchers opened fire at everything nearby. Only a few Eldar died, the xenos having foreseen this. But that could not be said the same for the Na'vi. The Eldar had arranged their catspaws well and many warriors where blown to bits in the immediate storm.

Then came the actual Astartes. Over forty drop pods blazed through the skies and deployed in a similar manner. Warriors from five different chapters rapidly moved out in formation as Thunderhawks and Imperial Navy fighter craft descended from the skies.

Bran Redmaw's howling wolves took point as the Eldar moved over the lip of the valley to engage. In the distance something could be seen glowing to the enhanced senses of the Astartes. But they hardly had time to look at the Eldar deployed. Blazing lasers, plasma bursts and shuriken rounds immediately landed among the Astartes. Power-armored warriors were cut down or blown to bits as they moved out into optimal firing positions. Mere seconds after they finished landing the Astartes took up cover near the drop pods and the broken trees and responded.

Krak missiles and lascannons rounds blew Eldar grav-tanks out of the sky and destroyed armored Eldar walkers. Eldar fell from massed bolter fire as Bran Redmaw led his Great Company through the storm of fire.

The Wolf Lord howled as a trio of massive, wolf pelted Dreadnoughts followed him, their weapons blazing as they went. Long Fangs offered covering fire to the Grey Hunters and Blood Claws as they tore into the Eldar vanguard.

Five hundred Eldar aspect warriors, Guardians, and Na'vi elites fell before the sons of Russ as they drove on ahead. Dreadnought grappled with Wraithlords as bands of Striking Scorpions fell out of concealment to engage Redmaw's forces. From above Eldar grav-tanks soared high and swooped down, strafing the Astartes below. Ground fire answered them and downed several tanks, sending their wreckage spiraling to the ground in fire and flames. The Thunderhawks and Imperial Navy Thunderbolts immediately moved to engage.

Valkyries descended, their holds filled with the Guardsmen of the Elyisian and the Cadian regiments. Vultures blasted out hellstrike rockets and autocannon fire as the guardsmen descended among the Astartes to add their firepower. Larjan of the Eagle Warriros swept forward with his forces. The tactical squads of both the Eagle Warriors and Blood Angels followed his assault plan, hugging cover and closing into key firing positions. Eldar warriors where cut down and Larjan drove deep into the flank to support the Wolves.

Shadow-Captain Zarman's tactical squads moved in support as well. In the rear of the Imperial battlegroup, the Devastators immediately focused their firepower, wiping out entire Eldar formations and enemy tanks as they did so. A constant torrent of las-fire soon chopped down acres of trees as over thirty thousand Elysian and Cadian Guardsmen added their support. Guardsmen hurried to equip air-dropped heavy weapons and missile launchers.

Then from above, the Astartes Thunderhawks moved into formation. Their holds released and jump-pack equipped warriors readied themselves and leaped into the air en-mass, thrusters blazing as they descended. Over a hundred Assault Marines from the Eagle Warriors, the Revilers, the Iron Champions and the Blood Angels descended right into the middle of the Eldar host, chainblades revving and bolt pistols blazing as they did so.

* * *

''Brothers! Sanguinius watches you!'' Chaplain Malachi screamed as Castigon drove his power saber thought the chest of a darkly-armored Eldar warrior as he landed on the ground. The Eldar tried to move out as soon as the Astartes descended, but many where not fast enough and where crushed by the Astartes warriors.

Castigon had been placed in command of every jump-pack equipped warrior that the Imperium had. Even the Revilers, who were adept at drop warfare, recognized the skill that the Blood Angels possessed at jump assault. It was an exhilarating thing, having the power of a hundred Astartes landing in the middle of the enemy formation at your command. Chainblades shrieked and bolters roared alongside flamers as the assault warriors tore a hole in the Eldar army.

The warriors that Castigon landed among were known as Dark Reapers. They wore bulkier armor than the other Eldar and wore grinning skull masks. Their weapons were long, scythe-like things that could punch through even power armor. They had already inflicted heavy casualties on the Astartes below. Now Castigon was here to ensure that no more of his Astartes brothers would fall to the guns of these warriors, He beheaded another and then brought his power sword around in a blinding arc, taking off an army before driving through an Eldar skull.

Chainblades hacked through armor as the assault marines slaughtered these warriors in close combat. More assault squads descended on Eldar grav-tanks and Eldar warlocks, cutting them down before moving on to the main army. Na'vi came charging out of the undergrowth. They were bigger than the other Na'vi that Castigon had fought before, their bodies painted in war-tattoos. They carried strange, alien blades that began to crackle with arcane energy.

Castigon recognized them to be Eldar weapons. He didn't think the notoriously arrogant Eldar would stoop so low as to arm an inferior race, but whatever was here apparently was so desperate that the Eldar would indeed stoop that low. One of them cut down an assault marine and Castigon barked out an order in response. Two Astartes with flamers opened fire, dousing the Na'vi warriors with promethium. The aliens screamed as the flesh was incinerated from their bones.

Castigon leapt thought the flames his own jump pack sending out jets of fire as he did so. The flames licked and blackened his armor and ornate heraldry, but he didn't care. His sword descended and flashed as he beheaded another Na'vi and then gutted a warrior sneaking up behind him. His bolt pistol coughed, killing another.

Thus did Castigon lay into the foe.

* * *

**Eldar Command Post**

Kylia watched weapon blaze in the distance. She reached out, feeling the brutal, unfocused minds of the mon-keigh. There were others, the minds of mon-keigh psykers. All inferior to her of course, no one could match the Eldar in terms of psychic prowess. There where thousands of them, with hundreds of their enhanced warriors leading the attack. They had deployed only foot warriors, but she knew that more landers would come with tanks and heavy equipment.

Ideally they would have shot down those landers, but the mon-keigh retained air superiority. So as it was such things would be difficult. However Kylia was confident enough that the Eldar could win, their avatar had not yet committed itself into the battle. She turned around, regarding the massive god-thing hesitatingly. She, like all other Eldar had been taught to restrain their bloodier sides and focused themselves on the path. But before the Avatar, she felt her own bloodlust rising in the presence of a god of war.

**''THEY COME. THEY WILL NOT AWAKE THE YINGIR, FARSEER.''** The god-thing rumbled. Kylia felt her heart beat in fear. The Avatar turned to a group of Exarchs on the ground and issued a series of orders. Units were being moved to reposition and counterattack the enemy. The Avatar knew full well that the enemy would commit itself.

''Great one.'' Vas'tey stepped forward. He took could feel the aura of rage and fear that the Avatar wore like a cloak. It was like talking with war itself, and the very concept had scared Vas'tey deeply. What had their allies summoned?

**''GO. MOVE INTO BATTLE.''** The Avatar spoke. Vas'tey hastily scampered out of the way.

Kylia watched the Na'vi move out with a sort of detached pity. The poor fool really didn't have any idea what was going on. He probably wouldn't survive the day, but Kylia was willingly to make any sacrifice to ensure that the Yngir would remain imrprisoned.

''Lady Farseer, what do your visions tell us?'' Lithial asked, coming up behind her. He was fully armed and armored for war. Most of his command duties as the supreme leader of the Eldar warhost had been taken over by the avatar.

Kylia frowned. ''My visions are…clouded. The Mon-keigh psykers cloud the warp. There are many of them and their emotions run uncontrolled and rampant. I can heard the death-screams of our brethren.''

''I will go to the front then my lady.''

* * *

Captain Larjan listened to as one of his sergeants reported an advance. Larjan spoke a clipped command as his command squad leveled their storm bolters to cut down more of the blue-skinned aliens in a wave of fire.

Larjan could tell the battle was going well. Of course he was recognizing attempts for a counter-attack, Eldar units where peeling off and reengaging with rapid certainty. He had attempted to contact Redmaw win this difficulty, but the Wolf Lord hardly listened to him, too caught up in the advance to cut the Eldar forces in the valley.

Larjan was an experienced veteran of the chapter. Recruited many decades ago from some nameless feral world, the masters of the Eagle Warriors noted his tactical and strategic skills and he had been marked out for a command position early on, and he could tell from the shifting forms of the Eldar warriors that something strange was going on. Larjan knew full well from prior combat experience that the Eldar possessed precognitive abilities, but this spoke of the guided hand of an experienced commander and leaders of an ancient wisdom centuries old.

He raised his storm bolter and let off a burst, blowing apart two more Na'vi warriors. The Na'vi where being used as effectively meatshields for the main Eldar advance, something he found typical of the slender xenos. He looked around, auto-senses piercing the din of battle. There, he detected the forms of more Eldar moving through the jungle. It was a full-scale counter-attack if his suspicions where correct. He opened his vox and ran through orders, repositioning his squads to meet the latest assault on his positions.

Then he spotted it.

Larjan did not feel fear. He was Astartes, but he knew this was not good. He opened a vox-link to the other Captains in the force. After a movement the connection was finally established.

''The Eldar! They've summoned their daemon-god!''

* * *

Indeed, through the fire and the flames of the battle a massive figure strode, a twice as tall as the other Eldar a massive sword clutched in one molten fist. Its face was an ornate war mask, twisted into an expression of fury and warlust.

Varius's bolter coughed as he blew apart several more Na'vi that climbed over their dead to assault the Astartes. His bolter clicked dry as Melkan moved up and let out a gout of fire from his flamer, setting apart more Eldar afire

Fenrik's power axe beheaded an Eldar Warp Spider that had teleported in two close. Two more Warp Spiders appeared and began to fire at Fenrik, but they were cut down from accurate bolter shots from Sentius. Naaren landed among the Na'vi, his combat knife clinically dispatching the wounded as he fired his bolter in short, accurate bursts. The Raven Guard was like a silent shadow of death in the bloody chaos of the battle. Alverez's heavy bolter coughed, scything down more Eldar warriors. Na'vi and Eldar simply exploded as the modified heavy bolter's hellfire shells annihilated them. The Crimson Fist's head scanned back and forth as he went about his grisly work.

The Deathwatch had been assigned to the Space Wolf formations, Systos had anticipated that their expertise in killing aliens would serve well in the heart of battle. Fenrik had served as a liaison between the group.

''Varius, bring your team up, we are having company.'' sounded Redmaw's voice over the link. The Wolf Lord was forced to wear his helm, a snarling, wolf-carved helmet painted red in reflection of his name.

''Clarify cousin.'' Varius replied.

''The Avatar, a damned beast of the Eldar.''

In the distance Varius saw immediately what the Wolf Lord was referring to. He had never seen an Avatar before, but he was well briefed about the daemonic being that the Eldar summoned sometimes in order to help them in battle.

If such a being was on Pandora then it meant the Eldar where truly desperate to protect the planet.

''Squad, on my point, move to support the Wolf Lord.'' Varius voxed.

* * *

Larjan noticed two more of his Eagle Warriors die as their runes blinked out in his tactical HUD. He swept this storm bolter around, blowing apart the Eldar Howling Banshees that had done so. His command squad formed up around him as he directed the battle.

New Eldar grav-tanks move into position. His Devastator squads were hard-pressed in countering them. The Guard had helped much in this regard, setting up heavy weapons and replying back, making it hard for the tanks to respond. Landers and Thunderhawks would respond soon, but currently the Thunderbolts and fighters of the Imperial Navy where desperately fighting to clear the airspace. It would be at least ten minutes before support could probably arrive.

They might not have that time, reflected Larjan.

More Eldar Wave serpents where moving in, deploying Dire Avenger squads and Fire Dragons. The latter moved out to unleash searing blasts of superheated beams, killing more Astartes. At Larjan's command blue and white armored assault marines flew into the air and descended upon these warriors.

''Support is needed.'' Larjan voxed to Castigon. He received a quick reply as more red-armored warriors flew through the air. Larjan hardly had time to thank the Blood Angel as the enemy warriors moved in.

Shuriken fire caused Larjan to stagger back as he looked out. Dire Avengers where now trying to pin down his command squad while a tall Eldar warrior leading a group of Striking Scorpions began to close in with Larjan.

A surgical strike to take out the enemy leader.

This was an Autarch, Larjan recognized the rune markings on its armor as Eldar script for a commander. This one was obviously aiming to kill one of the Astartes champions.

His command squad moved in around Larjan, drawing their power swords and firing off their storm bolters as they fought a trio of Eldar warriors. Two of Larjan's Astartes fell, blazing Eldar fire cutting them down as the Eldar leapt into close quarters. The Eldar Autarch's blade was a long, curved saber that crackled with destructive energies. Larjan's blade in contrast was a finely forged war axe, shaped in the reflection of an eagle's wing and decorated in gold trimming.

The Eldar's blow was lightning fast as Larjan countered, using both hands to keep up with the warrior's exquisite skill. Larjan had no doubt in his mind that this was a true veteran of many battles. All around them their warriors fought. Larjan activated his Iron Halo, feeling the field envelop him as the Eldar warrior raised its fusion gun and fired point blank. There was white heat all around the Eagle Warriors Captain, but the Iron Halo held as Larjan lashed out, cutting off the barrel of the fusion gun.

The Eldar leader dropped the useless weapon and closed in again, blade flashing arcs of light into the air. Larjan now found it hard for himself to keep up. This Eldar's reactions were quick in the extreme, something that even a warrior such as Larjan struggled to keep up.

But it was Larjan's experience that saved him from bloody death. He had studied well under the blade-masters of the Eagle Warriors. He kept up with the bladework of the alien as their bladed clashed. The Eldar's word would nick the white and blue plate of the Eagle Warrior, drawing small wounds when the powered tip passed through the armor, and occasionally Larjan's blade would clip the warrior, but neither could gain a solid advantage.

A blade almost decapitated Larjan, but he ducked under it, the powered sword, cleaving off his comb-crest on his helm. Larjan lashed out, his power axe almost bisecting the Eldar warrior, if not for an amazing feat of agility.

Then the Eldar warrior revealed its trump card, its helmet suddenly spat out a storm of lasers over Larjan. The Eagle Warrior's masterwork armor was scorched by the attack as Larjan staggered back under the barrage.

Then the alien rushed forward, blade disarming Larjan, the power sword cutting his hand, fresh pain erupted Larjan's being as the alien dove in, stabbing Larjan through one of his primary hearts. Warning monitors erupted all over his armor.

_No,_ Larjan thought, _it would not end like this_.

Larjan's remaining arm lashed out, grabbing the Eldar and pulling him closer before the xenos could withdraw the blade. Larjan's other arm, closed around trapping the alien in a lethal bearhug. Larjan's superhuman strength strained for brief moment as he snapped the alien's neck with one quick twist of his arms.

The alien fell dead to the ground, sword stumbling for a nerveless grip as Larjan staggered back, his gauntlet closing over the deep wound in his armor. Even for an Astartes that had hurt. But he couldn't rest now.

The battle still waged on. A nearby tactical squad had moved in, chainblades and knives drawn to help drive off the Striking Scorpions. Rapidly they moved in among the Command squad, laying out into the Striking Scorpions. The green-armored Eldar fell back, chainblades gouging deep wounds in their armor. Larjan accessed the vox. He shouted out more and more orders for the Astartes battle line to reform and meet the Eldar assault.

Rapidly the Eagle Warriors and Blood Angels in his command scrambled to meet this order as the fighting entered a new and deadly turn. Larjan looked up, noting the crimson forms of the Blood Angels assault squads as the air filled with the roar of jump thrusters.

Castigon had arrived.

* * *

Hrothgar's frost axe bit into the neck of another Eldar warrior and he felt the enemy's head roll away. The scent of blood entered his nostrils as his helmet filtered them through. The Space Wolf hated fighting like this, however the atmosphere of Pandora was hard to breathe even for Astartes.

The dead Eldar fell back to the floor with a thump as Hrothgar's bolter spat out more shells, blowing off the arm of a Howling Banshee as it jinked and ran towards him. The Eldar dropped her sword and rolled on the ground at the pain from the crippling wound, while the Space Wolf finished her off with a stomp that pulped her head.

As the Space Wolf looked up his armor blared in warning as it detected an immense heat signature in front of him. Hrothgar whirled around to see a massive god-like shape walked through the bloodied ground.

In one of its massive hands was a huge broadsword. Then, before Horthgar's eyes it shifted into an immense spear. The Space Wolf leveled his bolter and fired off a fresh clip at the Avatar, but it barely affected the massive beast. The xenos beast then brought its arm back and chucked it through the air with tremendous force. Hrothgar had no time to react as the spear gutted him through the chest and he flew back several feet, his torso being immolated as the entire weapon impaled him.

Hrothgar's corpse thudded to the floor as the Wailing Doom disappeared and reappeared in the Avatar's hand. Behind the Eldar god of war over twenty Astartes lay dead in a result of its rampage and it looked like there was more to come.

Bran Redmaw paused as he cut down another Eldar and looked at the xenos war-god. He grinned beneath his helmet and hefted his frostblade from the corpse of a Na'vi with a sickening wretch. He gestured to his Wolf Guard.

''Let's go.''

* * *

**Aboard the _Emperor's Benediction_**

''Ma'am, we have gotten reports from the ground.'' One of the Guard officers aboard the _Emperor's Benediction_ said.

Marber watched as Systos hurried over to him. The various Guard, Astartes and Navy officers were in the war room of the _Benediction_. They were clustered around the tactical holo-table and watched the disposition of forces fight on it.

''It's the daemon-thing the Eldar have summoned. Coming in from Sector 4-G.'' the officer said Systos's lips pursed at this confirmation.

''Its looks like the enemy is getting more reinforcements besides that. But obviously we have a new worry.'' Systos stated.

Marber knew exactly what she was talking about. If the Eldar where resorting to summoning their god of war then they obviously considered this place extremely important. Marber pondered on what could they possibly consider too important on this planet?

An image of a dark skeleton filtered through his mind, sending chills up his spine. He quickly repressed it.

''What do you intend to do?'' he asked Systos. She glanced at him.

''Kill it of course. I think it's time we entered our own reinforcements.'' She stated. He looked over at Captain Kaler of the Iron Champions.

''Prepare your men, we are going in.''

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yes, the Autarch who died was Lithial.


End file.
